The Gauhati High Court on Monday convicted 32 people, including kingpin Rakesh Paul, in connection with a cash-for-job scam.

The court found the defendants guilty in the Agriculture Development Officer (ADO) recruitment scam, which has been under intense scrutiny due to the high-profile nature of the accused and the extensive corruption involved in the selection process for ADO positions advertised in 2013.

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The case saw 32 out of 44 accused individuals convicted. Among those found guilty are Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) members Rakesh Kumar Paul, Basanta Kumar Doley, Samedur Rahman, and Binata Rynjha, the latter now serving as an approver in the case. Additionally, the court convicted 36 candidates, one APSC employee, and three middlemen involved in the scam.

Conversely, the court acquitted 11 individuals who were previously implicated in the scandal.

The ADO recruitment scam is part of the larger APSC cash-for-job scandal, in which candidates allegedly bribed officials to secure government positions they were not qualified for. Rakesh Paul, a central figure in the scam, orchestrated fraudulent activities related to the ADO recruitment process.

First exposed in 2015-16, the APSC scandal involved widespread allegations of candidates manipulating exams through bribery to obtain government jobs. This verdict marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the APSC scam, which has unveiled deep-seated irregularities and corruption within the Assam Public Service Commission examinations.