[Bengia Ajum]
ITANAGAR, 14 Jan: Six officials of the education department who were arrested and suspended for their alleged involvement in the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) paper leak scam have been reinstated in the service.
The names of the officials are Iken Bagra, (BEO), Radek Romin (BEO), Posi Gamlin (BEO), Joi Sora (PRT), Tama Saroh (PRT), and Taniyang Gaduk (head assistant). It was the arrest of Tama Saroh and Tanyang Gaduk, along with former APPSC deputy controller of examination Taket Jerang, in September 2022 in connection with the APPSC assistant engineer (civil) examination question paper leak case that had busted the massive scam.
Saroh was a junior teacher in Siang district who also acted as a middleman in the question paper leak scam, working closely with the main accused, Taket Jerang. It was he who arranged the question paper for Tanyang Gaduk’s son, Thomas Gaduk, for the AE civil examination. Since then, Tanyang Gaduk and Radek Romin have retired from service.
All six suspended officials managed to obtain bail from the high court and then knocked on the court’s door for their reinstatement in service. Taking advantage of the lack of preparation by the education department in dealing with the case, they managed to get reinstated. The department reportedly failed to review the suspension order within 90 days as per the rule, due to which the high court ordered the reinstatement.
While issuing the reinstatement order for Radek Romin, the high court stated, “However, in view of the fact that a departmental proceeding has already been initiated against the petitioner, liberty is granted to the authorities to issue fresh order of suspension qua the petitioner, if so advised, after complying with the present order of this court.”
In the same order copy, the court stated: “In view of the law laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court as well as by the division bench of this court, there can no manner of doubt that order of suspension dated 01-12-2022, not having been reviewed not extended by a reasoned order within 90 (ninety) days of passing the same, the said order dated 01-12-2022 has lost its force upon expiry of 90 (ninety) days. As such, the impugned order dated 01-12-2022 is hereby set aside with a direction upon the respondent authorities to reinstate the petitioner in service.”
The possibility of deliberate sabotaging of a process initiated by the state government to punish the guilty officials has also been raised as some of the accused are allegedly related to the official looking into the case.
Further exhibiting a lack of understanding of the subject matter and misguiding the senior officials of the department, the directorate of elementary education took almost five months to decide and inform the secretary and the commissioner of education, who is the competent authority to initiate disciplinary action against the suspended employees, which provided the alleged accused a window of opportunity.
Also, it is alleged that some of the reports submitted by the departmental inquiry committee were inconclusive and the department had to reconstitute the committees, which further delayed the action against the accused.
