Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 26 Sep: The state government has recommended that the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) assistant engineer (civil) question paper leakage case be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Home Minister Bamang Felix informed on Monday.
Addressing media persons at the civil secretariat here, the minister said, “Paper leakage matter will be deeply investigated. Therefore the government has decided to hand over the case to the CBI to ensure free, fair, impartial and swift investigation.”
Though the police investigation has “gone deep,” the government has decided to hand the case over to the CBI for further investigation, Felix said.
Reiterating “the government’s commitment to root out corruption,” Felix said that six persons have so far been arrested in the case.
“Itanagar police have already investigated deep into the case. In addition, the SIC is also investigating, and a high-level committee has also been constituted to inquire into the matter,” the minister said.
On being asked whether the CBI inquiry would be confined to the AE (civil) paper leakage case or include other exams conducted by the APPSC, Felix said: “Presently, we are recommending inquiry into the AE paper leakage case.”
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who was in Lower Subansiri district, stressed that the APPSC paper leakage case is “a big jolt to the entire state, which demoralises the aspirants, as well as myself.”
To root out the endemic corruption in the premier recruiting agency, the CM said that “I have recommended CBI inquiry into the paper leakage issue, so that thorough investigation is carried out and no one dares to indulge in corrupt practices in premier recruiting agencies like the APPSC and the APSSB.”
The CM also informed that the “deprived aspirants whose age limits have crossed due to marred exams will be considered through cabinet, and they will be given opportunity to appear for the exam.”
Six persons – APPSC Deputy Secretary Taket Jerang, middleman Tama Saroh, candidate Thomas Gaduk, Akhilesh Yadav, Tanyang Gaduk, and Dilip Saha – have so far been arrested in connection with the case.
