Final verdict in APSC ADO recruitment scam: 32 including Rakesh Pal convicted, 11 acquitted

Digital Desk: In a significant development in the APSC Agriculture Development Officer (ADO) recruitment scam, the Gauhati High Court on Monday convicted 32 individuals, including prominent APSC member Rakesh Pal, out of a total of 44 accused.

The case, registered under Bhangagarh PS Case No. 159/2017, has drawn considerable attention due to the high-profile nature of the accused and the scale of the alleged corruption in the selection process for ADO positions advertised in 2013.

Among those convicted are APSC members Rakesh Kumar Pal, Basanta Kumar Doley, Samedur Rahman, and Binata Rynjha, who has now been declared an approver in the case. The court also convicted 36 candidates, one additional APSC employee, and three middlemen.

In contrast, the court acquitted 11 individuals, who were previously implicated in the scam. The acquitted individuals include:

- Vikash Pincha (middleman)

- Kunal Das (middleman)

- Kaushik Kalita (middleman)

- Syed Musharraf Hussain (APSC employee)

- Beauty Gogoi (Candidate)

- Phiruj Moran (Candidate)

- Jyotiban Dutta (Candidate)

- Saijali Johori (Candidate)

- Dhritiman Roy (Candidate)

- Mousumi Saikia (Candidate)

- Boichitra Hakmaosa (Candidate)

The ADO recruitment scam is part of the broader APSC cash-for-job scandal, in which candidates allegedly bribed officials to secure government positions they did not deserve. Rakesh Paul, who played a central role in the scam, oversaw the fraudulent activities related to the ADO recruitment process.

First exposed in 2015-16, the APSC scandal involved allegations of candidates conducting exams through bribery to obtain government jobs. The verdict marks a crucial moment in the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the APSC scam, which has involved allegations of irregularities and corruption in the Assam Public Service Commission examinations.