The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at 18 locations across four cities in Tamil Nadu as part of a money laundering investigation linked to the alleged polytechnic lecturer recruitment examination scam involving government polytechnic colleges.
The searches were carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at locations in Chennai, Trichy, Coimbatore and Madurai. The probe relates to alleged irregularities in a Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) examination conducted for the recruitment of 1,058 lecturers.
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Money Laundering Probe Based on Earlier Police Cases
According to officials, the ED initiated its investigation on the basis of a First Information Report registered in 2017 by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai Police and a chargesheet filed by the state police in 2021.
The case concerns allegations of manipulation of answer sheets and mark sheets in the TRB recruitment examination. The federal agency is examining whether candidates secured eligibility through altered marks and whether payments were made to facilitate recruitment.
Alleged Mark Inflation Under Investigation
The examination was conducted on September 16, 2017, for 1,058 lecturer posts, with around 1.33 lakh candidates appearing for the test. During the recruitment process, nearly 2,000 candidates were shortlisted for certificate verification.
Investigators found that the marks of approximately 200 candidates had allegedly been increased by 50 to 100 marks, enabling them to qualify for the next stage of selection. According to the investigating agency, candidates who allegedly benefited from the manipulation paid between ₹25 lakh and ₹30 lakh each to agents in exchange for selection as government lecturers.
Role of Officials and Intermediaries Examined
The ED suspects that Teachers Recruitment Board officials or staff members may have been involved in the alleged racket, although no action had been taken without supporting evidence at the time.
The alleged irregularities came to light after the TRB cross-verified shortlisted candidates’ marks against original answer scripts. The exercise led to the withdrawal of results declared on November 7, 2017, and the publication of a revised list on December 11 that year.
The agency is also examining the suspected involvement of intermediaries and other individuals connected to the recruitment process. Officials said further investigation is underway, while the Central Crime Branch had already filed cases against around 196 candidates in connection with the matter.
