APPSC, APSSB scams: ED raids multiple locations in Arunachal Pradesh

ITANAGAR: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted multiple raids in Papum Pare district as part of investigation into the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB) scam and APPSC paper leak case, official sources said on Friday. The raids were conducted by ED under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002 while investigating the APSSB scam and Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) paper leak cases.

"The ED initiated investigations under PMLA, 2002 based on FIR registered by the Special Investigation Cell (SIC) under various sections of Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988 and IPC1860 in the case of APPSB scam and FIR registered by SIC and CBI under various sections of PC Act, 1988 in APPSC paper leak case," the ED said in a tweet.

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The agency claimed that, during the search operation on Tuesday, it recovered incriminating documents and Rs 1.41 crore which has been frozen. According to sources, the ED raided the house of Taket Jerang, the main accused in the APPSC paper leak scam. Jerang is the main accused in all the scams related to the APPSC since 2014.

The ED officials reportedly recovered some important documents from his residence and are planning a follow-up action based on the documents, the sources said. In another case, the ED reportedly froze and attached the accounts of Kapter Ringu and her relatives, in regard to the APSSB cash-for-job scam.

The SIC investigating the APSSB cash-for-job scam, had charge sheeted 19 persons in November 2020 for their alleged involvement in the case. So far two cases have been registered by the SIC in the APPSC paper leak issue and the cases have already been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

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The premier investigating agency filed a chargesheet on December 9 last year against eight individuals and another on January 30 this year against one person. As many as 46 government officials and 13 private individuals have been arrested in connection with the malpractices conducted in the recruitment examinations.

The irregularities came to light after one Gyamar Padung, who appeared in the examination, filed a complaint at the Itanagar police station on August 29, claiming that he suspected that the question paper was leaked. More than 400 candidates appeared in the examination held on August 26 and 27 last year.

The CBI had taken over the investigation on October 27 after the state government recommended it. The case was initially investigated by the Capital Police, and later transferred to the Special Investigation Cell (SIC) of the state police. On March 10 last, the state government had written to the ED, urging it to investigate the case.