The political fallout from the Enforcement Directorate’s probe into alleged manipulation of recruitment examinations in Uttarakhand has reached the Congress organisation, with former Chief Minister Harish Rawat stepping down from key party positions after cash and gold were recovered from the Dehradun residence of his former aide Chandan Singh Jeena. Rawat said his decision was aimed at preventing the controversy from affecting the Congress’s larger anti-corruption campaign, even as he questioned the allegations against his long-time associate.
The Enforcement Directorate’s searches in Uttarakhand have triggered a fresh political controversy surrounding former Chief Minister Harish Rawat. The agency’s action is part of a money-laundering investigation linked to alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC).
The searches covered several locations in Dehradun associated with former commission officials, private agencies involved in examination-related work and individuals suspected of acting as intermediaries. One of the key locations was the residence of Chandan Singh Jeena, who had earlier worked closely with Rawat.
According to the details emerging from the searches, investigators recovered cash worth around Rs 32 lakh from Jeena’s residence. The seizures also reportedly included 13 gold coins and seven gold chains weighing approximately 200.5 grams in total. Investigators also found 12 luxury watches, including brands such as Rolex, Rado and Tissot. Family bank accounts containing around Rs 52.16 lakh were also frozen during the investigation.
The probe stems from cases registered by Uttarakhand Police concerning alleged manipulation of OMR sheets in recruitment examinations. Investigators are examining allegations that examination answer sheets were taken out of secure custody and subsequently altered by changing marked answers. The alleged irregularities relate to recruitment examinations, including the Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari examination conducted in 2016.
The controversy has acquired an additional political dimension because of Jeena’s previous association with Rawat. Jeena had served as an Officer on Special Duty during Rawat’s tenure as Uttarakhand Chief Minister between 2014 and 2017. Rawat has acknowledged his professional association with Jeena but has questioned the allegations against him.
In his public response, Rawat described Jeena as a person he had known professionally for years and portrayed him as hardworking and modest. At the same time, Rawat said that if evidence established that his former aide had actually participated in tampering with recruitment documents, it would cause him considerable embarrassment.
Rawat has also questioned the timing and political implications of the searches. With Uttarakhand politics already entering an intensely competitive phase, he suggested that his opponents could attempt to use the investigation to construct a political narrative against him and the Congress.
However, rather than allowing the controversy to become a larger organisational issue, Rawat chose to withdraw from his important responsibilities within the party. He resigned as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee as well as from the executive of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee.
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