The Enforcement Directorate has widened its investigation into the alleged CGPSC recruitment scam, examining suspected kickbacks, financial transactions and possible laundering through CSR contributions. Former CGPSC chairman Taman Singh Sonwani is in ED custody following a production warrant. Investigators are examining whether ₹45 lakh to ₹47 lakh routed as CSR donations to Gramin Vikas Samiti was connected to alleged recruitment-related payments. The allegations remain under investigation and have not been established by a court.

CGPSC Recruitment Scam: ED Probes Alleged Multi-Crore Money Laundering Network, Former Chairman Taman Singh Sonwani in Custody

The Enforcement Directorate has widened its probe into the alleged Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission recruitment scam to include suspected money laundering, illegal kickbacks, and Corporate Social Responsibility funds allegedly used to hide illicit transactions.

The CGPSC recruitment scam has taken a new turn with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiating a money-laundering probe into alleged financial irregularities in the 2020 and 2021 recruitment cycles. Authorities suspect hundreds of crores of corruption while probing financial transactions, illegal assets, and cash trails linked to the case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested the former Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) Chairman, a retired IAS officer Taman Singh Sonwani, after getting a production warrant. The agency was granted custody till July 31 by a Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court in Raipur, allowing it to conduct custodial interrogation.

The probe has widened from allegations of manipulation of the exam and irregularities in recruitment, investigators said. Financial investigators are also probing money made from the alleged recruitment scam to determine whether it was laundered through structured transactions disguised as legitimate charitable and corporate funding.

ED Examines Alleged CSR Route in CGPSC Recruitment Scam

The Enforcement Directorate said the initial findings indicate that the illegal kickbacks were allegedly channelled through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions and public welfare organisations to conceal the source of the funds related to the recruitment process.

Some ₹45 lakh to ₹47 lakh were routed through private entities, including industrial companies, and shown as CSR donations to Gramin Vikas Samiti, a registered trust allegedly run by close family members of Taman Singh Sonwani, investigators said.

These transactions are being investigated to find if they were connected to a larger money laundering network, the ED said. Officials are examining financial records, bank transactions and the flow of money to see if there are other beneficiaries or related entities.

The agency has not disclosed publicly whether there will be any more arrests or proceedings to attach assets. However, the ongoing financial probe is likely to look into more transactions in connection with the alleged recruitment scam in Chhattisgarh.

Also Read: Army Personnel Alleges ₹18 Lakh Plot Fraud in Sikar, Three Booked.

CBI Investigation Earlier Highlighted Recruitment Irregularities

This case pertains to the CGPSC State Civil Services Examination held during the 2020 and 2021 recruitment cycle. Earlier probes by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleged that rules for recruitment were changed deliberately and examination answer sheets were manipulated in favour of ineligible candidates.

The alleged beneficiaries included sons, daughters, nephews and relatives of senior government officials, influential people and politicians, the CBI said. The candidates were said to have been appointed to key administrative posts such as Deputy Collector, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) and District Excise Officer. 

The CBI has already filed 29 charge sheets in the case against various people. The list includes former secretary of the CGPSC Jeevan Kishore Dhruv, former examination controller Arti Wasnik and several candidates who are alleged to have got appointments through irregular selection processes.

The allegations are still under judicial proceedings, and the accused have the right to defend themselves in the court of law. CBI chargesheets and ED investigations are no proof of guilt till established through due process of law.

The ED’s intervention significantly broadens the scope of the case by clubbing the alleged recruitment fraud with suspected violations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Investigators will be looking at whether public institutions, private companies, trusts and intermediaries were used to facilitate or conceal unlawful financial transactions. 

The parallel investigations by several agencies could have ramifications for accountability in public recruitment systems and increase scrutiny of transparency and financial governance in recruitment. As the investigation unfolds and courts consider the evidence presented by enforcement agencies, Sprouts News will track official developments.