Students’ take doesn’t support vlogger’s claims: Assam Police

GUWAHATI: The Assam Police on Monday said the statements of students of the Guwahati-based coaching institute run by arrested vlogger-teacher Victor Das do not support their teacher’s cash-for-job allegation in the recently held Assam direct recruitment exam.
At least seven students, who had appeared in the recruitment tests for grade III and IV posts last month, were questioned.
“This establishes that the teacher’s allegations were baseless and were made with intention to disrupt the recruitment process that has been conducted in a free and fair manner amid tight security,” an officer said. The Assam government conducted the written exams for recruitment of grad III and IV posts on August 21 and 28 amid unprecedented security at the test venues. Mobile internet services were also suspended during the exam durations in the districts, where the tests were scheduled, fearing question paper leak. Police on Sunday night raided Das’s residence at Dadara in Assam’s Kamrup district and seized a laptop. He is currently under seven-day police custody. He was arrested on Friday evening for allegedly spreading rumours questioning the sanctity of the recruitment process. Charges of extortion and promoting enmity between different groups, among others, were slapped on him.
At least seven students gave their statements on Sunday in the case amid strong rebuttal from the chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who termed the controversy the handiwork of “a few frustrated political parties”. Amlanjyoti Dutta, one of Das’s students, on Sunday said he had given information in details in connection with the case to the police. He claimed before the media that he had also got some information from his fellow students that they were contacted by some brokers who demanded money in exchange for jobs.