Latest news with #SewaliDeviSharma
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
ED searches ex-IAS officer's residence in Rs 105cr SCERT scam
Guwahati: Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out searches at the residential premises of retired IAS officer Sewali Devi Sharma and some of her accomplices in an alleged Rs 105-crore scam in the Assam State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), official sources said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The chief minister's special vigilance cell arrested Sharma along with 20 others, including govt employees, RTI activists, and journalists, in May 2023 in connection with the case. Sharma was arrested from Rajasthan a few days after the case was lodged. The alleged misappropriation of the fund took place while imparting training to the schoolteachers and implementing the scheme under the ODL mode (Online Distance Learning mode) of SCERT, Assam. The case came to light in March 2023 after the CM's special vigilance cell registered a case based on the reports of the department of school education. The enquiry by the department of school education revealed that during her posting as the executive chairman and director of the SCERT from 2017 to 2020, she allegedly created five bank accounts without the necessary approvals from state govt, and she was the sole signatory. The report revealed that the Assam Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act was not followed in respect to the bank accounts. The retired IAS officer is also an accused in a case of amassing properties disproportionate to her known source of income. During the investigation, police found that she amassed disproportionate assets amounting to around Rs 6.5 crore. The state govt approved the creation of 59 institutions. However, the ex-IAS officer is alleged to have opened 347 study centres to "collect more funds".
The Print
3 days ago
- The Print
SCERT ‘scam' probe: ED raids locations in Assam ‘linked' to retd IAS officer
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. 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). 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 ( 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) Also Read: Anil Ambani's firms were under scanner of banks & SEBI before ED tightened noose around him
NDTV
3 days ago
- NDTV
Probe Agency Conducts Raids In Money Laundering Case Against Ex IAS Officer In Assam
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting search operations at eight locations across Assam today in connection with a money laundering case involving retired IAS officer Smt. Sewali Devi Sharma and others. Sewali Devi Sharma, who served as the Executive Chairman-cum-Director of the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Cell of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), is accused of large-scale financial irregularities while implementing the National Council for Teacher Education's (NCTE) two-year Diploma in Elementary Education ( programme through distance mode. The Government of Assam had approved the programme for 59 recognized institutions with a total enrolment capacity of 27,897 government teachers. However, in violation of this approval, Sharma allegedly established 347 study centres and enrolled 1,06,828 trainees-nearly four times the permitted number-primarily to collect excess funds. Investigations have revealed that she opened five unauthorized bank accounts for the ODL Cell, where she was the sole signatory. In a blatant breach of the Assam Financial Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2005, Sharma allegedly diverted over Rs 115 crore received as fees from trainees into these accounts instead of depositing them in the government treasury. The ED suspects that more than Rs 105 crore was spent without following financial delegation rules, tendering procedures, or verifying supply and execution of works. Contracts were allegedly handed out to firms owned by close relatives-including her daughter and son-in-law-as well as associates like Sarang More, the ODL Cell's Chartered Accountant, without any competitive bidding process. Most of these entities reportedly lacked prior experience, and payments were made without proper documentation or verification. Initial police inquiry has indicated that Sharma may have amassed disproportionate assets worth over Rs 5.7 crore during the period under investigation. The ED searches are currently underway as part of efforts to trace the proceeds of crime and identify other beneficiaries involved in the alleged scam.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
ED conducts searches at eight places against ex-IAS officer Sewali Devi, others in money laundering case
GUWAHATI: The Enforcement Directorate's Guwahati office on Tuesday conducted searches at eight places against Sewali Devi Sharma, a retired Rajasthan cadre IAS officer, and others in a money laundering case involving Rs 105 crore. Sharma earlier served as executive chairman-cum-director of the 'open and distance learning' (ODL) cell of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in Assam on deputation. She was also responsible for the implementation of National Council for Teacher Education's two-year diploma in elementary education programme through SCERT's distance mode. 'The approval to government of Assam was for 59 recognised institutions with a capacity of 100 each for total of 27,897 government teachers. However, she opened 347 study centres and enrolled 1,06,828 trainees instead of 27,897 trainees in order to collect more funds,' the ED said in a statement. She opened five bank accounts for the ODL cell, where she was the sole signatory, which was in contravention of the Assam Financial Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2005.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
ED raids ex-IAS officer, others in ₹105 crore SCERT 'fraud' case in Assam
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday (August 5, 2025) carried out searches against retired IAS officer Sewali Devi Sharma and others in an alleged ₹105 crore scam in the Assam State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), official sources said. At least eight premises connected with Sharma, a former executive chairman-cum-director of the SCERT, and some of her alleged associates were raided under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. Also Read | ED conducts raids at premises linked to jailed Bihar cadre IAS officer Sanjeev Hans The money laundering case stems from a May 2023 FIR filed by the State police on the directions of the Assam CM's Special Vigilance Cell. She was arrested by the State police from Rajasthan a few days after filing of the complaint. Sharma was subsequently chargesheeted by police for alleged possession of disproportionate assets worth Rs 5.7 crore, according to the sources. The 1992-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer hailed from the Rajasthan cadre and was on deputation to Assam when alleged irregularities worth Rs 105 crore took place during her tenure in the SCERT between 2017 and 2020. Reports said she obtained bail in this case from the Supreme Court in March. The former bureaucrat could not be contacted immediately for a comment on the ED action. Sharma, according to sources, served as the Executive Chairman-cum-Director of Open and Distance Learning Cell (ODL) of the SCERT and was responsible for the implementation of the National Council for Teacher Education's (NCTE) two-year Diploma in Elementary Education programme. The state government had approved the creation of 59 institutions and the training of 27,897 teachers. However, in comparison, the ex-IAS officer is alleged to have opened 347 study centres and enrolled 1,06,828 trainees to "collect more funds." Sharma, the sources claimed, opened five bank accounts for the ODL Cell, where she was the "sole signatory" and this was in "violation" of government rules. Of the ₹115 crore she received in fees from individuals, she allegedly spent more than Rs 105 crore without obtaining financial sanction from the state government, the sources alleged. The expenditure was incurred for supplies and execution of works without following the rules and procedures and payments were released without complete supply of materials, and no work was done, they claimed. These contracts, as per ED's probe, were given to entities "owned or controlled" by associates or family members (son-in-law, daughter) of Sharma as well as to a chartered accountant named Sarang More, who was the auditor of the ODL Cell. The contracts were awarded "without" advertisements or invitations for tenders, as stipulated by the government for each procurement of above ₹5 lakh, sources alleged. Except for two parties, none had any experience in executing work orders awarded to them and payments were made "without" the required receipts or verification of actual supply, the ED claimed.
