The Assam Police has said that a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who is one of the prime accused in the police job recruitment scam in Assam, is believed to be hiding in neighbouring Nepal, will be caught in a few days.
PK Dutta, who retired as a deputy inspector general (DIG), has been absconding since September 20, when the Assam government cancelled a written exam to recruit 597 sub-inspectors to the police force after the question paper was leaked and was circulated on social media.
Dutta and his son Ishan are suspected to have fled to Nepal by road after the scam came to light. The former police officer’s daughter is married to a Nepali citizen based in Kathmandu.
“We can assure you Dutta will be nabbed within few days. Our investigation is on and he will be arrested whether he is in Nepal or anywhere else,” GP Singh, additional director general of police (law and order), told journalists on Saturday.
Dutta along with ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Diban Deka are suspected to have fleeced many candidates for posts of sub inspectors by assuring them jobs in lieu of cash. Deka is alleged to have procured the question paper ahead of the written test.
{{/usCountry}}Dutta along with ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Diban Deka are suspected to have fleeced many candidates for posts of sub inspectors by assuring them jobs in lieu of cash. Deka is alleged to have procured the question paper ahead of the written test.
{{/usCountry}}Police investigation has revealed that a day ahead of the test on September 20, many candidates had taken a mock exam in a Guwahati hotel. Nearly 70 of these candidates were staying at one of the five hotels Dutta owns in Guwahati.
Police had issued a look out notice for both Dutta and Deka and alerted income tax department, enforcement directorate and department of revenue intelligence after unearthing many properties belonging to the police officer.
On September 30, Deka, who had unsuccessfully contested as a BJP candidate from Barkhetri assembly seat in 2011, was arrested by the police. The 43-year-old was expelled from the party after his arrest.
According to reports, an associate helped Dutta and his son reach Siliguri in West Bengal on September 23 where they spent a night in a hotel. It is speculated Dutta’s son-in-law helped the duo enter Nepal the next day.
An Assam Police team is reported to be in Nepal at present and trying to bring back Dutta. Senior police officials in Assam, however, remained tightlipped about Dutta’s whereabouts as it could impact investigation and his arrest.
Meanwhile, Deka, who was remanded to five days police custody after his arrest, has been kept at a high security lock up of the special branch in Guwahati following apprehension of threat to his life.
Prior to his arrest, the BJP leader in a Facebook post had admitted his association with the agency conducting the written exam for sub inspectors and added that he was absconding as there were threats to his life.
Till Saturday, crime branch and criminal investigation departments of Assam Police who are investigating the scam had arrested 32 people including those who lured candidates with promise of jobs as well as job applicants who were in touch with Dutta and Deka.