Vlogger charged with extortion, promoting enmity between grps

Guwahati: Assam Police has pressed charges of promoting enmity between different groups and extortion, among others, against the vlogger who on Wednesday informed chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and two top police officials about a suspected cash-for-job scam in the recently held recruitment exam for 30,000 posts in the state government through a tweet.
Victor Das, the vlogger who runs a coaching centre in the city, was arrested late on Friday. The chief judicial magistrate’s court remanded him to seven-day police custody on Saturday.
Victor is the son of late Kumud Chandra Das, an NF Railway employee, whose body was found on the railway tracks on August 27, 2020. Victor and his family believe that he was murdered.
DGP Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta on Saturday said Victor couldn’t give concrete evidence to corroborate his claims of a cash-for-job scam scam in the recruitment for Grade III and IV posts.
The Assam Police tweeted, “One Victor Das has been arrested for spreading false rumors and indulging in a conspiracy to foment discord between various sections of society over selection to government posts.”
While being taken to court, Victor told the media persons, “I have given the police all proof. Given that I have verifiable proof, I won’t give up. I have also offered call recording.”
Six years ago, a job aspirant lodged a similar complaint with Dibrugarh police about being offered a government job through the Assam Public Service Commission for a bribe of Rs 10 lakh based on which police started the biggest cash-for job scam in the state. It led to the arrest of the then APSC chairman Rakesh Paul. Subsequently, about 29 officers of Assam Civil Service, the Assam Police Service and allied services were arrested for securing their jobs in a wrongful manner.
Senior advocate of the Gauhati high court, Angshuman Bora, said like the earlier APSC scam, police should have registered Victor’s complaint as an FIR and then started investigation. “The informant has become an accused here,” Bora added.
Victor’s mother, who was present at the Panbazar police station to see her son, said, “Will he claim anything without any supporting evidence? He spoke out for society by raising his voice.”