The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Guwahati Zonal Office, has provisionally attached movable and immovable assets valued at ₹6.40 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in a case involving Sewali Devi Sharma, ACS, former Executive Chairman-cum-Director of the ODL Cell, Government of Assam, along with several associates.
The ED initiated its probe based on an FIR registered by the Vigilance Police Station, CM’s Special Cell, Assam, which accused Sharma and others of misappropriating approximately ₹105.76 crore in government funds. The FIR included charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Unauthorized Approvals and Large-Scale Financial Misconduct
The ED investigation revealed that between 2017 and 2021, during her tenure as Executive Chairman-cum-Director of the ODL Cell under SCERT, Assam, Sewali Devi Sharma illegally approved 347 study centres and facilitated the enrolment of 1,06,828 trainees.
This was in clear violation of the Government of Assam’s sanctioned limit of only 59 study centres and 27,897 trainees, approved by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), New Delhi, for the D.El.Ed. distance education programme.
As a result of these unauthorized admissions, Sharma collected ₹115.12 crore in fees from trainees. The investigation further shows that she opened five bank accounts in the name of the ODL Cell, all under her personal authorization — despite having no financial powers under the Government’s delegation rules — and did not deposit these funds into the government treasury.
Diversion of Funds and Acquisition of Properties
The ED found that Sharma and her close associates diverted and siphoned off funds from the ODL Cell accounts by transferring large sums into her personal bank accounts as well as those of her family members and confidants. The misappropriated funds were then used to purchase multiple movable and immovable properties in their names.
The assets attached by the ED are believed to be proceeds of crime acquired through systematic abuse of official position and manipulation of the ODL Cell’s operations.
Further Investigation Underway
The Enforcement Directorate stated that the case involves widespread financial irregularities, misuse of authority, and deliberate concealment of government revenue. The agency has confirmed that further investigation is ongoing to identify additional beneficiaries and trace the remaining diverted funds.
This case raises serious questions about administrative oversight within Assam’s education sector, marking the ED action as a significant step toward combating institutional corruption in the state.
