Guwahati: A special court on Monday convicted former Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) chairman Rakesh Kumar Pal and 31 others in the bribery case for appointment to the posts of agriculture development officers (ADOs) in Assam. Special Judge Dipankar Thakuria acquitted 11 others for lack of evidence while one person turned approver.

Pal, two other suspended members of the commission Basanta Kumar Doley and Samedur Rahman and other officials and middlemen were held guilty in the case of manipulating the marks of candidates who appeared in the ADO recruitment exam. The judge is yet to announce the punishment of the convicted persons. The case was registered at the Bhangagarh police station in 2017 on the complaint of a candidate who failed to get the job.

'Second case of taking bribe in exchange for job'

It was alleged that the marks of other candidates were increased by taking money. Pal, other members and officials of APSC have also been arrested in another case of bribe-for-job. The second case of bribe-for-job is related to the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) for recruitment of police and other officials.

The Assam Police has arrested around 70 people, including Pal and 57 civil officials, in the case since 2016. Pal was arrested by the Dibrugarh police in November 2016. He was released on bail in March 2023. The case related to the CCE is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on the direction of the Gauhati High Court.