World · India Bureau
ED raids ex-Uttarakhand CM aide over alleged exam scam money laundering
Indian enforcement authorities have conducted raids on the residence of a personal assistant to former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat as part of a money laundering investigation linked to alleged irregularities in a 2016 state examination. The operation resulted in the seizure of substantial cash, luxury watches, and gold items.
LSN India ·
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches at the premises of Chandan Singh Jina, personal assistant to Harish Rawat, the former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, in connection with an alleged money laundering case stemming from purported irregularities in the 2016 village panchayat development officer examination.
According to ED officials, the raids resulted in the recovery of cash worth 32 lakh rupees, gold coins and chains, and 12 luxury watches from the residence. The agency has also frozen bank accounts belonging to Jina's family containing 52.16 lakh rupees pending further investigation.
The action marks the latest development in the ongoing investigation into the 2016 recruitment examination, which has been scrutinized by federal authorities for alleged procedural breaches. The ED's involvement indicates the probe has expanded beyond administrative irregularities to include financial crimes.
Rawat served as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from 2014 to 2017 and again briefly in 2022. The investigation specifically targets alleged money laundering related to the competitive examination conducted during his tenure. Authorities have not yet made any formal charges in the case.