Guwahati, October 7: Prime accused in the Assam Police sub-inspector recruitment examination question paper leak scam, former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Assam Police, Prasanta Kumar Dutta was produced in the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court here today and  sent to six days’ custody of CID of Assam Police.

Dutta, who was arrested at the India-Nepal border near Kakobhita  on the strength of the look- out circular issued by CID Assam on Tuesday, was brought to Guwahati in the wee hours today. A medical check-up and COVID test was done at MMC Hospital here and the former DIG tested negative.

“CID had sought seven-day police custody of Dutta but the court has given permission for six days. Dutta had told the court that he had various ailments and accordingly the court directed the investigating officer for his medical check-up at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital before being sent to police custody,” a government advocate at the CJM court told reporters.

Dutta was on the run for more than two weeks since the cash-for-jobs scam was unearthed. Media reports said that he had been “hiding” in Nepal since September 24.    

Earlier on Tuesday, additional DGP (law and order) G.P. Singh told reporters that the interrogation of Dutta would begin once the medical formalities were done and the next course of action would be based on the details revealed by the accused in the investigation.
It may be mentioned that another key accused in the scam, Diban Deka has also been sent to six days of CID custody as ordered by the Chief Judicial Magistrate court in Guwahati.

Deka, who was suspended from BJP recently, was detained on October 1 near Pathsala town in Barpeta district and thereafter produced in a court here and remanded to five days’ custody of the crime branch of city police.