ED Raids Harish Rawat’s PA in 2016 Exam Irregularities Case, Seizes Cash and Luxury Watches
NEW DELHI/DEHRADUN, September 11: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its investigation into alleged irregularities in a 2016 recruitment examination conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC), carrying out searches at several locations in Dehradun, including the premises of a personal assistant to former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat.
The searches, conducted on Thursday, are part of a money laundering investigation linked to alleged manipulation of the Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari examination held by the state recruitment commission in 2016.
According to the ED, Chandan Singh Jeena, who is currently serving as a personal assistant to Harish Rawat, was among those whose premises were searched. Jeena had earlier served as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) during Rawat’s tenure as chief minister between 2014 and 2017.
The agency said it recovered Rs 32 lakh in alleged unaccounted cash, along with gold coins and chains weighing approximately 200.5 grams and 12 luxury wristwatches during the search of Jeena’s residential premises.
The watches reportedly included brands such as Rolex, Rado, Piaget, Movado, Tissot and Casio Edifice. The ED has also frozen bank accounts belonging to Jeena and members of his family, with funds amounting to approximately Rs 52.16 lakh, according to the agency.
The investigation is based on four FIRs registered by the Uttarakhand Police and the Vigilance Bureau in connection with alleged irregularities in the 2016 recruitment examination.
Alleged manipulation of answer sheets
The ED has alleged that the examination process was compromised through the manipulation of OMR answer sheets. According to the agency, the answer sheets were allegedly moved from the UKSSSC’s secure custody to the residence of the commission’s then secretary.
The agency has claimed that, at the residence, roll numbers from under-filled OMR sheets were allegedly recorded and subsequently passed on to personnel associated with a private computer agency.
Investigators allege that the answer bubbles on some sheets were then fraudulently filled or altered before the documents were resealed. The ED suspects that these alleged manipulations were carried out in return for illegal payments, which were allegedly routed through middlemen.
The agency is now examining the financial trail connected to the alleged recruitment examination scam, including the movement of money and possible benefits received by individuals allegedly involved in the process.
Searches across multiple locations
The ED’s operation was not restricted to Jeena’s premises. Officials also searched locations linked to the former chairman, secretary and examination controller of the UKSSSC, along with the owner of a private computer agency that was reportedly involved in processing OMR sheets.
Premises associated with individuals described by the agency as alleged middlemen were also searched.
During these operations, the agency said it recovered unaccounted cash and gold jewellery from certain former commission officials and other persons linked to the investigation.
The searches are part of the ED’s wider effort to trace the alleged proceeds of crime and establish how money may have moved between individuals and entities connected with the examination irregularities.
ED questions unexplained cash expenses
The agency has also raised questions about the financial activities of Jeena. The ED alleged that its investigation found evidence of substantial cash expenditure for which there was no satisfactorily explained source.
According to the agency, the cash recovered during the searches, along with the alleged unexplained expenses, did not appear to be supported by Jeena’s known sources of income.
The ED has therefore begun examining financial records, bank accounts and other documents as it attempts to determine whether the assets and cash allegedly recovered during the searches are connected to the money laundering investigation.
Jeena’s mobile phone was also seized by the agency for forensic examination, according to the ED. Investigators may examine the device for information that could shed light on communications, financial transactions or other activities relevant to the case.
Rawat and Jeena yet to respond
There was no immediate response from Chandan Singh Jeena or former chief minister Harish Rawat regarding the ED’s searches and allegations.
The investigation relates to alleged irregularities in an examination conducted nearly a decade ago, and the latest searches represent another significant development in the long-running case.
The alleged examination manipulation involved the recruitment process for the Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari post. The ED is now focusing on the financial dimension of the case, particularly whether money generated through alleged illegal activities was subsequently concealed, transferred or used to acquire assets.
As the investigation continues, the agency is expected to scrutinise financial documents, property and asset details, bank transactions, communication records and other evidence gathered during the searches.
It is important to note that the allegations made by the ED are part of an ongoing investigation and have not, at this stage, been established as proven offences by a court.
The latest searches nevertheless mark a major step in the agency’s efforts to follow the alleged money trail behind the 2016 examination irregularities and identify individuals who may have benefited financially from the alleged manipulation of the recruitment process.
Further action in the case will depend on the evidence gathered during the investigation and the findings of the ED and other law-enforcement agencies.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
