ITANAGAR, 15 Mar: The state government has terminated the jobs of two Group A officers in connection with the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) paper leak issue.
The two officers were holding the posts of agriculture development officer (ADO) and are currently lodged at the Jully district jail near here, in connection with the case, officials of the agriculture department said.
ADOs Dekni Romin and Yimar Rakshap, posted in Taliha in Upper Subansiri district and Hawai in Anjaw district, respectively, have been terminated by the government from their services against the backdrop of the ongoing APPSC exam scam, an order issued by Agriculture Commissioner Bidol Tayeng stated.
The appointments were provisional and they were still on two years’ probation period, and their services were yet to be confirmed by the government.
The two formers ADOs were earlier arrested by the Special Investigating Cell (SIC) in connection with the paper leak case and were remanded to police custody for more than 48 hours.
Both the officers were served with termination notices by the department on 6 February, giving them a month’s time to respond. However, they have not replied to the notices.
Another official of the department, Talung Jomang, serving as a senior agriculture field assistant, who is currently lodged at the Jully district jail, has been placed under suspension, the order said, adding that disciplinary proceedings could not be completed “due to certain previous judgment of the Supreme Court in a similar case.”
Chief Minister Pema Khandu had on 10 March informed in the assembly that, “since 2017, there were 11 exams conducted by the APPSC, in which a total of 54 persons, including 42 government officials, have been arrested on allegations of malpractices.”
The question paper leak issue came to light last year after one Gyamar Padung, who had appeared for the examination, filed a complaint at the Itanagar police station on 29 August, claiming that he suspected that the question paper had been leaked.
More than 400 candidates had appeared in the examination held on 26 and 27 August last year.
The CBI took over the investigation on 27 October this year after the state government recommended it. The case was initially investigated by the capital police and later transferred to the SIC of the state police. (PTI)
