Chhattisgarh 'PSC scam': CBI books former chairman, ex-secretary for alleged corruption

The CBI Monday conducted searches at the residential premises of Taman Singh Sonawani, Secretary Dhruv (both booked in the FIR) and others at Raipur and Bhilai.

New Delhi: The CBI has registered an FIR against a former Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission chairman and others in connection with an alleged "nepotism" racket in which "ineligible" family members of politicians, PSC officials and public servants were recruited in lucrative government jobs during the Congress rule.

Officials said CGPSC's former chairperson Taman Singh Sonwani, its ex-Secretary Jeevan Kishore Dhruv and a controller of examination have been booked for helping their sons, daughters, relatives and acquaintances score high in the merit list to ensure their recruitment as deputy collectors, deputy SPs, and other such posts.

It is alleged that manipulations took place in the 2022 CGPSC examination, the results of which were declared on May 11, 2023.

The agency conducted searches on Monday at the residential premises of Sonawani, Dhruv, and others in Raipur and Bhilai.

The CBI took over the investigation on a reference from the Chhattisgarh government dated February 16.

According to the procedure, the agency re-registered the FIR, earlier investigated by the Economic Offences Wing of the state police, a CBI spokesperson said.

The BJP ousted the Congress from Chhattisgarh in assembly elections held in November, 2023.

The FIR alleged that family members of high-ranking government officials and prominent politicians, including those of the ruling party, were the main beneficiaries of the recruitment.

Five family members of Sonwani -- including son Nitesh and daughter-in-law Nisha Kosale as deputy collectors, elder brother's son Sahil as Deputy SP, daughter-in-law Deepa Adil as District Excise Officer, and sister's daughter Sunita Joshi as Labour Officer -- were beneficiaries in the recruitment exercise, it alleged.

"It has been further alleged that then Secretary (Dhruv) of Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission, Chhattisgarh, got selected his son (Sumit) to the post of Deputy Collector," a CBI Spokesperson said.

The complaint, now part of the CBI FIR, alleged that candidates making it in the merit from serial numbers 1-171 are allegedly related to government officials, politicians and influential persons.

It lists Deputy Collectors including Chhattisgarh Governor's Secretary Amrit Kumar Xalxo's son Nikhil and daughter Neha, Bastar Naxal Operations DIG PL Dhruv's daughter Sakshi, a Congress leader's daughter Ananya Agarwal, senior Congress leader Sudhir Katiyar's daughter Bhumika Katiyar and son-in-law Sashank Goyal, Congress leader Rajendra Shukla's daughter Swarnim Shukla and son of a senior Congress leader Rajendra Kumar Kaushik.

Relatives of Congress leaders' aides, including Pragya Nayak, who was selected as Deputy Collector; Prakhar Nayak, who was chosen as Financial Services Officer; and Khushboo Bijoura, who was selected as Deputy Collector, were also beneficiaries of the alleged scam, the complaint alleged.

It has alleged that if the relatives of a Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission official appear in the examination, then the concerned person has to recuse himself from the process after informing other members and officials of the Commission, which Sonwani did not do.

It is alleged that Sonwani violated the rules and selected his family members and relatives of other officials and influential persons, which is considered "corruption".

"The candidates who scored well in the examination are relatives of the PSC officials, government officials and politicians. It shows that the candidates were provided the examination paper in advance, enabling them to score well and get good ranks in the results," the complaint alleged.