Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has resigned from two organisational positions in the Congress after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized cash, gold and luxury watches from the residence of his personal assistant, Chandan Singh Jeena.
The ED conducted searches in Dehradun on Thursday as part of a money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in a 2016 recruitment examination conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC).
Rawat said he did not want the allegations involving his associate to affect the Congress' campaign against corruption. He has stepped down as a member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee executive and as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee.
What the ED recovered
According to the ED, its searches covered several locations linked to former UKSSSC officials, a private computer agency owner and alleged middlemen connected to the recruitment case.
At Jeena's residence, the agency said it found Rs 32 lakh in unaccounted cash, 13 gold coins and seven gold chains weighing around 200.5 grams, besides 12 luxury watches. The watches included brands such as Rolex, Rado, Piaget, Movado, Tissot and Casio Edifice.
The agency also froze bank accounts belonging to Jeena and his family members containing Rs 52.16 lakh and seized his mobile phone for forensic examination.
The money laundering case is based on four FIRs filed by the Uttarakhand Police and Vigilance Bureau over alleged manipulation in the 2016 Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari examination.
The ED has alleged that OMR sheets were taken out of secure custody and subsequently altered by personnel linked to a private computer agency in exchange for illegal payments.
Rawat backs his aide
Jeena, who is currently Rawat's personal assistant, had also served as his officer on special duty when Rawat was chief minister between 2014 and 2017.
Responding to the ED action, Rawat said he acknowledged Jeena's long association with him but questioned the allegations.
"News is being shown on television that a large amount of cash and jewellery has been found or made to be found at the residence of my PA in Dehradun. The truth behind this will emerge in the coming days. It is true that Mr Jeena served as my OSD and has held important responsibilities whenever I was in government or in the party," he said.
Rawat described Jeena as "a very decent, humble and hardworking person" and said he would be ashamed if there was evidence of wrongdoing.
"If he tampered with OMR sheets in the Gram Sevak recruitment examination and there is evidence of such wrongdoing, then I am ashamed of this alleged act. However, I do not believe this allegation at all," Rawat said.
Why Rawat resigned
Rawat said the developments came at a politically sensitive time for Uttarakhand, with the state entering an election phase. He suggested that the action against his associate could be used to build a narrative against him.
"Whenever people asked me when elections would be held, I would jokingly say elections would be announced when the CBI knocked at my door. This time, instead of my house, the knock has come at the house of one of my associates and an attempt is being made to create a narrative," he said.
He said he did not want the controversy to weaken the Congress' fight against corruption.
"At such a time, if any action associated with me weakens the party's fight, I would never want that. Therefore, I have taken a major decision," he said.
Rawat subsequently announced his resignation from both Congress positions.
"I am a member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee executive and a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee at the national level. I wish to step down from both these positions with humility because I do not want the party's fight to suffer because of me," he said.