HT Digital,
GUWAHATI, Nov 19: Two government employees were arrested late on Nov 18 as the Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell intensified its probe into the alleged Tourism Department recruitment scam dating back to 2010–12. The officers picked up Ananya Borthakur and Pranjal Bora on Tuesday night after investigators found that both had allegedly secured their posts through manipulated records and unauthorised procedures.
Officials said the irregularities occurred when senior Congress leader Rokibul Hussain served as Tourism Minister. During those years, several appointments were allegedly made without following eligibility rules or verifying essential qualifications, raising questions over the credibility of the department’s hiring process.
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Investigators revealed that Borthakur, posted in Delhi, and Bora, serving in Nagaon, were among eight candidates suspected of using forged documents and bypassing mandatory norms. Their arrests stem from an earlier case filed by the CM Vigilance after a preliminary inquiry uncovered widespread inconsistencies in the recruitment list.
The scrutiny has now expanded to other candidates appointed during that period. Those currently under investigation include Hiran Kumar Saikia, Saymeen Mannan, Mehjubin Begum, Gautam Gogoi, Madhab Das, and Nayanmoni Pamegam. Authorities say many of the appointees did not meet essential educational requirements, prompting a deeper audit into the entire batch.
The Vigilance Cell is expected to question more individuals as the decade-old scandal continues to unfold, with investigators tracking how far the alleged network of illegal appointments extended within the department.
