Dehradun: Former Uttarakhand chief minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat resigned from two key party posts on Friday after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) found unaccounted cash, gold and luxury watches at the home of his former OSD, Chandan Singh Jeena.
The agency carried out raids at multiple locations in Dehradun on Thursday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), targeting people linked to alleged tampering in the 2016 Village Panchayat Development Officer (VPDO) exam conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC).
Seizures & Alleged OMR Tampering
Officials said ₹32 lakh in undeclared cash was recovered from Jeena’s current residence, along with about 200.5 grams of gold in coins and chains. Twelve luxury watches from brands including Rolex, Rado, Piaget, Movado, Tissot and Casio Edifice were also seized.
The ED has frozen bank accounts held by Jeena and his family, containing nearly ₹52.16 lakh, under Section 17(1A) of the PMLA. His mobile phone was seized and sent for forensic examination.
According to the agency, the total value of seized and frozen assets is about ₹1.28 crore, excluding the watches.
The case stems from allegations that OMR answer sheets from the 2016 exam were tampered with while in official custody. Investigators suspect some sheets were taken to a senior official’s home and given to workers at a private computer agency, who allegedly filled in blank answers on selected sheets before resealing them.
The ED said there were signs that bribes were paid to rig the results. Probes into the roles of former commission officials and agency staff are ongoing.
Searches were conducted at premises linked to the then UKSSSC chairman, secretary and examination controller, as well as the computer agency owner and others connected to the case.
Rawat’s Statement & Resignation
Jeena, who served as OSD during Rawat’s chief ministership from 2014 to 2017 and now works as his personal assistant, was among those raided. The ED has not named Rawat as an accused.
Reacting to the developments, Rawat said: “If there is evidence that he tampered with OMR sheets in the village development officer recruitment, I am ashamed of such an act. However, I do not believe the allegation.”
Alleging the raids were meant to build a political narrative against him and the Congress ahead of elections, Rawat resigned as a member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee executive and as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee.
“The party’s fight against corruption should not be weakened because of me,” he said, apologising for any “error of judgement” in making the appointments.