The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested former Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) Chairman Taman Singh Sonwani in connection with an alleged recruitment scam involving paper leaks, manipulation of the selection process and money laundering. The agency alleges that irregularities in the 2020 and 2021 State Service Examinations were carried out to secure government jobs for relatives and favoured candidates in exchange for illegal gratification. Sonwani was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and has been remanded to ED custody until July 30 by a Special PMLA Court in Raipur.
According to the ED, the money laundering investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW)/Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Chhattisgarh, followed by an investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into alleged corruption and irregularities in the CGPSC recruitment process. The agency claims that the former chairman and several others entered into a criminal conspiracy to manipulate the recruitment process for unlawful gain.
Investigators allege that while serving as CGPSC Chairman, Sonwani conspired with certain public servants and private individuals to leak examination papers and interfere with the recruitment process. According to the ED, the alleged objective was to ensure the selection of his relatives and preferred candidates for prestigious government posts, including Deputy Collector and Deputy Superintendent of Police, through fraudulent means rather than a fair and competitive examination process.
The ED further alleged that the conspiracy extended beyond question paper leaks and included deliberate manipulation of recruitment rules. During the investigation, the agency claimed to have found that recruitment rules were amended in 2021, allegedly removing the term “nephew” from the definition of “family.” Investigators suspect that the change was intended to facilitate the appointment of Sonwani’s relatives by avoiding conflicts under existing eligibility provisions. These allegations remain part of the ongoing investigation and are yet to be tested before the court.
According to the agency, the proceeds of crime generated through the alleged recruitment scam were received partly in cash and partly through layered banking transactions designed to conceal the origin and movement of funds. Investigators are now tracing the alleged money trail to identify beneficiaries and establish how the suspected proceeds of crime were distributed among those involved.
The ED stated that Sonwani was arrested on July 25 under Section 19 of the PMLA after investigators found it necessary to interrogate him in custody. The agency alleged that during questioning under Section 50 of the PMLA, he gave evasive and non-cooperative replies while withholding material information relevant to the investigation. According to the ED, custodial interrogation is necessary to trace the proceeds of crime, identify additional beneficiaries and uncover the complete financial network behind the alleged recruitment scam.
The case has attracted nationwide attention at a time when concerns over examination integrity and recruitment irregularities are dominating public discourse. The alleged scam has also coincided with renewed debate over examination security following the introduction of proposed legislative measures aimed at strengthening action against paper leak offences and organised examination fraud.
Renowned cyber crime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said that modern examination frauds frequently involve a combination of document manipulation, digital communications, financial transactions and organised criminal networks. He noted that forensic analysis of electronic devices, financial records, digital communication platforms and recruitment databases plays a crucial role in uncovering the complete conspiracy. According to him, stronger digital security, continuous audit mechanisms and transparent recruitment processes are essential to prevent organised examination fraud and restore public confidence in competitive examinations.
The ED said the investigation remains ongoing and is focused on identifying all individuals who may have benefited from the alleged recruitment scam, tracing the complete money trail and gathering additional evidence relating to the alleged paper leak and selection manipulation. Officials indicated that further legal action may follow if additional evidence establishes the involvement of other public servants, private individuals or beneficiaries in the alleged conspiracy.
