Cash-for-job scam: Assam Public Service Commission member's aides held, sent to 14-day cop custody

GUWAHATI: Police on Thursday arrested two aides of Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) member Samedur Rahman, who himself had been arrested earlier in connection with the cash-for-job scam that has rocked the commission.
The duo have been identified as Mussharaf Hussain and Abbas Ali Ahmed, both APSC employees attached to Rahman's office. "The men have been sent to 14 days' police custody.Investigation has revealed their direct involvement in the scam," police sources said.
The two have been suspected to have played the role of middlemen between Rahman and candidates willing to pay money to get a rank in APSC exams. "The two fixed deals between the candidates and other high officials of the commission," police said.
The arrests have come a day after a lower court on Wednesday rejected the bail pleas of APSC member Basanta Doley and assistant engineer of Dibrugarh town and country planning department Nabakanta Patir. Earlier, the court had rejected the bail petitions of APSC chairperson Rakesh Kumar Paul, Rahman and his personal security officer Mamud Ali Choudhury.
Dibrugarh Police officers probing the case have furnished the case diary before the court which observed that there was sufficient material against the accused. The case diary has also named four persons as 'wanted' in the case. They are: Paul's brother Rajeev, veterinary doctor Mrigen Saikia, Paul's aide Sudip Das and Mofidul Islam, an associate of Rahman. All are absconding.
Recently, police searched Saikia's residences at Panjabari here and Moran in Dibrugarh district. Both Saikia and Das have been accused of collecting bribes from candidates on behalf of Paul.
Investigations have revealed that Paul allegedly collected between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 40 lakh from each candidate.