Guwahati, July 29:     In a landmark judgment, the Court of Special Judge, Assam, has delivered stringent penalties to those involved in the notorious Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) cash-for-job scam, a case that has rocked the state’s administrative system.

Rakesh Paul, the former chairman of the APSC, has been sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped with a fine of Rs. 2 lakh. The court found Paul guilty of orchestrating the bribery scandal that tainted the recruitment process for Agricultural Development Officer (ADO) positions.

Alongside Paul, two former APSC members, Basanta Kumar Doley and Samedur Rahman, received 10-years in jail and fined Rs 50,000 each. Their involvement in manipulating the selection process for ADO positions, which were advertised in 2013, was deemed a serious breach of public trust.

Additionally 29 candidates who had paid bribes to secure their ADO jobs in 2014 receive sentences of 4 years in prison and a fine of Rs. 10,000 each. The court’s decision underscores its commitment to tackling corruption within public service recruitment.

The scam, which came to light through investigations into irregularities in the combined competitive exams of 2013 and 2014, involved a total of 32 individuals. The court’s verdict has resulted in the conviction of 32 people, while 11 others were acquitted.