Assam APSC scam: Suspended police official Rumi Timungpi to appear before SIT today

In a significant development in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) cash-for-job scandal, Rumi Timungpi, a suspended police official, is set to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) today. 

As per reports, the suspended Additional Superintendent of Police have allegedly failed to clear the APSC mains exam.

Further Rumi Timungpi belonged to the ST (Hills) caste and the cut-off mark was 631 marks, however, the candidate managed to get only 558 marks. 

Now allegations have come to the fore that with due assistance of then APSC chairman Rakesh Pal, Timungpi managed to get 777 marks in the mains exams.

The APSC scam, which came to light in 2013, involved the illegal enhancement of marks on the final tabulation sheet used to declare the results of the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE). 

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This led to the unlawful appointment of several candidates to various government posts.

The investigation into this corruption case has seen substantial progress, with a one-man inquiry commission, led by Justice (retired) Biplab Kumar Sharma, filing a report detailing the anomalies and malpractices during the CCE exams of 2013 and 2014. The commission's findings have resulted in the suspension of 21 officers, including 11 Assam Police Service (APS) officers, four Assam Civil Service (ACS) officers, and six officers from other services.

These suspensions were enforced under Rule 6 (1) of the Assam Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1964, due to the severity of the misconduct and to prevent any embarrassment to the government during the ongoing investigation.

Among the suspended individuals, two APS officers were taken into judicial custody, and several others have been interrogated, with more arrests likely to follow. The Gauhati High Court has raised concerns about why certain officers named in the tabulation sheet had not been investigated earlier. Assam's Director General of Police (DGP) GP Singh has emphasized that no one will be spared if prosecutable evidence is found against them.

The SIT, constituted following the chief minister's instructions, continues its diligent work to bring all involved parties to justice. The state government has also initiated departmental proceedings against the implicated officers. 

Today's appearance of Rumi Timungpi before the SIT marks another step in the ongoing efforts to unravel the full extent of the corruption within the APSC and to hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

Till now as many as six people have been arrested by the SIT in the cash-for-job scam.