BJP leader arrested in Assam police recruitment 'scam'; expelled from party

Dibon Deka, a BJP leader, who was wanted in connection with a recruitment "scam" in Assam police that rocked the state, was arrested soon after he surrendered on Wednesday night.

Deka, who contested Assembly elections in 2011 as a BJP candidate from Barkhetri constituency, reportedly went into hiding after his name cropped up in the case that was registered after question papers meant for written examination for recruitment of 597 sub-inspectors leaked on September 20.

The state BJP, which earlier said that Deka was not a member of the party, expelled him from primary membership with immediate effect on Thursday afternoon. "Deka was just one of our 42 lakh members in Assam. He was not a leader and he was not given any charge of the party during my three-year tenure," president of Assam unit of BJP, Ranjeet Kumar Dass told reporters here soon after he was arrested by police.

Deka surrendered before police at Patacharkuchi in Barpeta district and was brought to the city.

This comes a day after the Opposition Congress staged a protest here and strongly criticised the BJP for the alleged scam. Congress leaders also demanded Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's resignation, taking moral responsibility of the alleged scam.

The examination was cancelled and postponed after the question papers were leaked on social media platforms even before the examination started on September 20.

Police have arrested at least 19 persons so far in connection with the case and named a former DIG, P K Dutta, as a prime accused. Dutta is still at large.

The alleged scam that surfaced ahead of Assembly elections slated early next year came as an embarrassment to the BJP-led government, which promised in 2016 to make Assam a "corruption-free" state.