Assam Rifles doc held in job racket

On the run since arrest of accomplices

 A suspended deputy commandant of Assam Rifles was arrested on Wednesday for running a fake job racket promising employment with Indian Army and Union health and family welfare ministry, police said on Thursday.

Dr Kamdev Das, 45, of Jharkhand’s Deoghar district, was running the racket with accomplices Archana Sinha and Ravinder Chauhan.

Kamdev, an MBBS from Darbhanga Medical College, was appointed as a medical officer (assistant commandant) in Assam Rifles in 2003 and was promoted to deputy commandant in 2007. He used to be a medical officer in Assam Rifles’ recruitment centres, where he met many touts, including Archana.

“These touts used to bribe Kamdev for their candidates during recruitment. Thereafter, Archana proposed him to help her candidates as well,” said deputy commissioner of police (crime and railways) S B S Tyagi.

Archana was the mastermind of the racket which operated in 10 states, including Delhi and Assam. She used to ask candidates to come to Guwahati and Jorhat, and Kamdev arranged fake medical examinations.

Kamdev allegedly provided samples of appointment letters among other necessary material issued by Assam Rifles to Archana. She would then prepare fake appointment letters and send photocopies of provisional appointment letters for candidates.

She used to collect Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 1.7 lakh per candidate. Of this, Kamdev was paid Rs 40,000.

Several cases are lodged against them for duping jobseekers to the tune of several crores.

The racket was busted after Ravinder was apprehended near Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station in September 2011 and on his instance, mastermind Archana was held in Assam’s Jorhat city in October 2011.

A list of about 2,000 prospective candidates and Rs 5.19 lakh in cash, 21 fake government seals and stamps and 200 provisional appointment letters were recovered from them. After interrogation, Archana disclosed Kamdev’s involvement.

Assam Rifles had ordered Kamdev to join the investigation, but he did not report to the crime branch police station and fled. He was later suspended by the paramilitary force.

A trap was laid after sub-inspector P C Yadav received information that Kamdev would come to Saket Court. He was arrested near the court complex.