New Delhi: Sleuths with the Guwahati zonal office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Tuesday launched raids at eight locations suspected to be linked to former IAS officer Sewali Devi Sharma and others in connection with the agency’s probe into an alleged scam involving the Assam State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).
A 1992-batch IAS officer, Sharma is former executive chairman-cum-director of SCERT.
The matter stems from a First Information Report (FIR) lodged by Assam CM’s Special Vigilance Cell which subsequently filed a chargesheet against Sharma and others in 2023 alleging presence of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 5.7 crore in her case. Sharma was arrested by the Special Vigilance Cell in May 2023 along with six others from Ajmer.
Based on the findings, the ED registered an ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report).
According to sources in the agency, when Sharma was posted in Assam on deputation between 2017 and 2022, she was responsible for managing SCERT’s ODL (open and distance learning) cell and statewide implementation of National Council for Teacher Education’s (NCTE) two-year diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) programme.
Sharma, it is learnt, allegedly opened five bank accounts for the ODL cell with herself as the sole signatory, which was in contravention of the Assam Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2005.
“Instead of depositing the amount of Rs 115,12,80,099 received as fees into the government treasury, Sharma deposited the funds in bank accounts opened by her and spent more than Rs 105 crore without obtaining financial power as per delegation of power under Rules of the Government of Assam,” a source told ThePrint.
Agency sources also alleged that the expenditure was incurred on supplies and contracts “given to entities owned and controlled by family members or close associates or close relatives as well as to one Sarang More, a CA who was also auditor of the ODL cell”.
The agency also suspects these contracts were given without any advertisements or invitation for tenders. “Except for two parties, none had any experience executing work orders awarded to them and payments were made without the required receipts or verification of actual supply,” said the source.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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