ED searches premises linked to Bhupesh Baghel’s PA in money laundering probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at multiple locations in Chhattisgarh, including the residence of K K Chandrakar, on Tuesday. The personal assistant of former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel was targeted as part of the ED's money laundering investigation linked to alleged irregularities in the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) examinations of 2020 and 2021.

The probe originated from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case filed in 2024, which cited irregularities in the selection process. The FIR accused several candidates of being related to government officials, politicians, and influential persons. The state government had referred the case to the CBI on February 16, 2024, following the Congress party's defeat in the December 2023 elections.

The CBI named Taman Singh Sonwani, the former Chairman of CGPSC, Jeevan Kishor Dhruv, the former secretary of CGPSC, unnamed public servants, and "concerned politicians" in the case. The ED recently arrested Sonwani under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). According to the ED, Sonwani collaborated with other public servants and private individuals to leak question papers and manipulate the selection process in exchange for illegal benefits, ultimately ensuring fraudulent selections for his relatives and other favored candidates to high-ranking positions like Deputy Collector and Deputy Superintendent of Police.

The ED also revealed that the CGPSC amended its recruitment rules in 2021 to remove the term 'nephew' from the definition of 'family,' thus enabling the selection of relatives of Sonwani for senior public posts. The proceeds of crime, as per the ED, were collected partly in cash and routed through complex banking transactions.