ED arrests key accused in alleged CGPSC paper leak scam, searches five premises

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Raipur Zonal Office, on Sep 1 conducted search operations at five premises across Raipur, Durg, Dhamtari and Jashpur districts in Chhattisgarh under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 and arrested key accused Utkarsh Chandrakar in connection with alleged irregularities, question-paper leak and corruption in the recruitment process conducted by Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC).

The ED probe was initiated based on two FIRs registered by the Economic Offences Wing of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Raipur, and the Central Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Corruption Branch, Raipur.

The cases name Taman Singh Sonwani, the then Chairman of CGPSC, and others for alleged manipulation and corruption in the State Service Examinations held in 2020 and 2021, ED said in a press note.

Investigators found that question papers of the CGPSC examinations were leaked to relatives of the accused and to selected candidates through private brokers in exchange for illegal gratification. This enabled fraudulent selections to senior posts, including Deputy Collector and Deputy Superintendent of Police, it said.

Further probes revealed that Utkarsh Chandrakar and Dr Vikash Chandrakar generated proceeds of crime exceeding Rs 3 crore. The amount was collected in cash from job aspirants against the promise of supplying leaked question papers for the CGPSC-2021 examination. Of this, approximately Rs 2.80 crore was handed over to Anil Chandrakar.

Utkarsh Chandrakar allegedly used the name, position and influence of his maternal uncle, K.K. Chandravanshi, who was then Personal Assistant to the then Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, as well as that of the then Officer on Special Duty in the Chief Minister’s office, to influence aspirants and collect money, the investigation agency said.

The ED had earlier conducted searches in the matter on June 3, 2026.

Evidence gathered during those searches, statements recorded under Section 50 of the PMLA, digital data recovered from Utkarsh Chandrakar’s mobile phone and analysis of his bank statements established that he was knowingly involved in generating, acquiring, possessing, concealing, layering, transferring and projecting the proceeds of crime as untainted property.

On the basis of these findings, Utkarsh Chandrakar was arrested on September 1 under Section 19 of the PMLA. During the latest searches, officials seized incriminating documents, digital devices, financial records, property-related papers and other material relevant to the investigation. Further investigation into the case is continuing.

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