The Opposition Congress in Assam has asked Governor Jagdish Mukhi not to let the chief of the State police recruitment board quit until the probe into the leaking of the question paper for appointing sub-inspectors is over.
The Congress has also sought a directive to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for dropping Law and Justice Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya because of his “close ties” with Bharatiya Janata Party leader Diban Deka, who is also an accused in the exam scandal.
Mr. Deka has been absconding, along with another prime accused, former Deputy-Inspector General of Police Prasanta Kumar Dutta. The State police have announced cash awards for information on the duo believed to be either in Nepal or in one of Assam’s neighbouring States.
“In the interest of a fair investigation, Pradeep Kumar should not be allowed to quit as Chairman of the State Level Police Recruitment Board (SLPRB) till the probe is completed,” said Congress MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Debabrata Saikia in a letter to Mr. Mukhi on September 29.
He referred to Mr. Kumar’s statement that he had filed a complaint with the Crime Investigation Department in connection with the scam and had taken two accused – Mr. Deka and Gautam Mech – along before the former vanished. Mr. Kumar announced his resignation soon after.
Mr. Saikia also referred to reports claiming Mr. Bhattacharya’s “close ties” with the absconding BJP leader. “As such, the Chief Minister should immediately drop Mr. Bhattacharya from the Council of Ministers, in consonance with parliamentary ethics,” he added.
The Congress also sought a judicial inquiry into why a few private firms had been allowed to conduct “one controversy-marred recruitment test after another” during the tenure of the Sonowal Ministry.
The police have so far arrested 19 people in connection with the question paper leak, besides probing the disproportionate assets of the retired DIG accused in the exam scam the Congress has labelled as “Assam’s Vyapam”.
The recruitment of sub-inspectors against 597 vacant posts was first advertised on November 4, 2018. The SLPRB issued another notice for the test on November 6, 2019.
The written test was scheduled on September 20 but the question paper was leaked a day ahead in hand-written form. A total of 50 candidates had sat for the “written test” on September 19 at a lodge in Guwahati.
