ED chargesheets ex-CGPSC chief, six others in recruitment irregularities money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Tuesday filed its first prosecution complaint against former Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) chairman Taman Singh Sonwani and six others in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations for senior government posts.

The 99-page prosecution complaint, accompanied by around 3,700 pages of documents, was filed before the Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court in Raipur, ED counsel Sourabh Kumar Pande said.

Apart from Sonwani, the complaint names businessman Shravan Goyal, former CGPSC Deputy Controller (Examination) Lalit Ganvir, Utkarsh Chandrakar, Vikas Chandrakar, Anil Chandrakar and Additional Collector Chetan Borghariya, who had earlier served as an officer on special duty in the office of former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel.

Money trail under scanner

According to the ED, its investigation relates to alleged corruption, question paper leaks and manipulation of CGPSC examinations conducted in 2020 and 2021 for posts including deputy collector and deputy superintendent of police.

The agency has alleged that Goyal provided money to Gramin Vikas Samiti, an NGO associated with Sonwani, as part of an arrangement to facilitate the selection of his son and daughter-in-law in CGPSC examinations.

The allegations remain subject to adjudication, and the filing of the prosecution complaint does not establish the guilt of those named.

The ED has also alleged that Ganvir played a role when CGPSC recruitment rules were amended in 2021 to remove the word “nephew” from the definition of “family”. According to the agency, the change allegedly helped facilitate the selection of relatives of then chairman Sonwani.

Utkarsh and Vikas Chandrakar have been accused by the agency of obtaining preliminary and mains examination papers for candidates and collecting money in return. Utkarsh is the nephew of K K Chandravanshi, who had served as a personal assistant to Baghel.

Probe followed CBI case

Sonwani was arrested by the ED in July as part of its money laundering investigation. He had earlier been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2024 in connection with the recruitment case.

The ED investigation stems from a case registered by the Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing and subsequent proceedings initiated by the CBI. The CBI registered its case in July 2024 and subsequently filed three chargesheets in 2025.

Investigators have alleged that question papers were leaked and the selection process manipulated in exchange for illegal gratification to help relatives of officials and other favoured candidates secure senior government posts.

The recruitment controversy relates to examinations conducted when the Congress was in power in Chhattisgarh. The CBI investigation began after the BJP defeated the Congress in the November 2023 Assembly elections and formed the government in the state.

First ED complaint

Tuesday’s filing marks the ED’s first prosecution complaint in the case and brings its money laundering investigation to the prosecution stage against the seven accused named in the document. The agency has widened its investigation in recent months, conducting searches and examining financial records, digital devices and other documents as it traced alleged payments connected with the recruitment process. The prosecution complaint will now be considered by the Special PMLA Court, which will decide on further proceedings against the accused.