Chetan Borghariya arrested in CGPSC money laundering case: ED

 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Chhattisgarh state civil services official, Chetan Borghariya, on September 11 in connection with a money laundering probe into the alleged irregularities in the 2020 and 2021 Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) examination, a statement issued by the agency said on Monday.

Borghariya, an additional collector in Chhattisgarh’s Balrampur-Ramanujganj district, was a former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Chief Minister’s Office during the previous Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government. The agency said he was produced before a special court in Raipur after his arrest on September 11 and remanded to ED custody for six days.

The money laundering case stems from an case lodged by the state Economic Offences Wing (EOW) over allegations of corruption and exam manipulation. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which later took over the probe from EOW, charge-sheeted former CGPSC chairman Taman Singh Sonwani and others.

According to ED, three suspects, Utkarsh Chandrakar, Anil Chandrakar, and Vikash Chandrakar, allegedly collected over ₹3 crore in bribes from candidates for the 2021 CGPSC examination. The agency alleged that they received the bribes on the assurance that candidates would get the question papers in advance.

The agency alleged that candidates who paid bribes assembled at a marriage hall in Raipur before the preliminary examination to receive leaked question papers. Ahead of the main examinations, candidates were taken to a resort at the Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary for coaching based on leaked papers.

“Financial investigation revealed cash deposits aggregating to ₹66.74 lakh through 170 transactions in the bank account of Chetan Borghariya during the relevant period,” the agency said in its statement. ED added that it also found direct transactions between him and key suspect Utkarsh Chandrakar.

“Forensic examination of the seized digital decices revealed communications between Chetan Borghariya and Utkarsh Chandrakar relating, inter alia, to financial transactions and demands for return/payment of money,” the statement said, alleging that a private company, Figurecave E-Com (OPC) Pvt Ltd, was used to layer and move the proceeds of crime.