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Updated: Jul 23, 2018 23:42 IST

Assam Police have arrested three persons, including a BJP leader and a senior police official, for trying to influence the probe into the cash-for-job scam which has rocked the state, an official said on Monday.

Vice-president of ruling BJP’s Darrang unit Sailen Sarma Barua, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) of Duliajan Kabita Das and businessman Surajit Chaudhury were held on Sunday night, Dibrugarh district superintendent of police Gautam Bora said.

“We have arrested DSP Kabita Das on Sunday night. She has already been taken to Guwahati and is being interrogated,” Bora said.

“Two more persons were arrested from Darrang and Guwahati. One is Sailen Sarma Barua who is the vice-president of ruling BJP’s Darrang unit and an advocate from Mangaldoi and the other is a businessman named Surajit Chaudhury,” he added.

According to official sources, the duo was trying to influence the probe by meeting judges at Guwahati high court.

Dibrugarh Police are investigating the scam at the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) in which a total of 67 people, including former APSC chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul and over 55 civil services officials, have been arrested.

On July 18, another 19 officers of Assam Civil Services (ACS), Assam Police Services (APS) and other allied services of the 2016 batch were held. APS officer Pallavi Sharma, the daughter of BJP MP RP Sharma, was among them.

In November last year, former Congress minister Nilamani Sen Deka’s son Rajarshi Sen Deka was also arrested for allegedly landing a job through unfair means.

Dibrugarh police had earlier arrested 35 government officials in the scam, including the prime accused Paul, commission member Samedur Rahman and Basanta Kumar Doley and assistant controller of examinations Pabitra Kaibarta.