Harish Rawat Quits Two Congress Posts After ED Recovers Cash, Gold From Personal Aide

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Friday announced his resignation from two Congress positions after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at the premises of his personal assistant, Chandan Singh Jeena, in connection with a money laundering investigation. The probe is linked to alleged irregularities in a 2016 recruitment examination conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC). Rawat said he decided to step down because he did not want allegations involving a close associate to weaken the Congress party’s campaign against corruption.

The ED searches reportedly resulted in the seizure of Rs 32 lakh in unaccounted cash, gold coins and chains weighing about 200.5 grams, and 12 luxury watches. The seized gold included 13 gold coins and seven gold chains, according to details released by the agency. The searches were part of the money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding the recruitment examination. The agency’s action has brought renewed attention to the wider case and to individuals allegedly connected to the financial investigation.

Following the searches, Rawat announced that he would relinquish his position as a member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee executive. He also resigned as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee. Explaining his decision, the former chief minister said he did not want any controversy surrounding someone close to him to become an obstacle to Congress’s political campaign on corruption. His decision came amid heightened attention surrounding the ED investigation and the seizure of cash, gold and luxury items during the searches.

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Rawat’s resignation places the focus on the political implications of an investigation that is connected to alleged irregularities in a recruitment examination. The 2016 examination conducted by the UKSSSC has been linked to allegations of wrongdoing that have continued to draw scrutiny in Uttarakhand. The ED’s money laundering probe represents a financial investigation arising from the alleged irregularities. The agency’s searches and seizure of assets have now added a fresh dimension to the controversy, particularly because of the political position held by Rawat and his association with the person whose premises were searched.

The former chief minister, however, framed his resignation as a decision aimed at protecting the credibility of the Congress campaign rather than as an admission of wrongdoing. By stepping away from the two organisational positions, Rawat said he wanted to ensure that the controversy did not undermine the party’s stand against corruption. His decision also comes at a time when allegations concerning recruitment examinations and government selection processes remain politically sensitive issues in Uttarakhand, where questions over transparency and accountability have repeatedly featured in public debate.

The ED’s seizure of Rs 32 lakh in unaccounted cash, gold weighing approximately 200.5 grams and 12 luxury watches is expected to remain a key part of the investigation as the agency examines the financial aspects of the case. The gold seized during the searches comprised 13 coins and seven chains. The investigation concerns alleged money laundering connected to irregularities in the 2016 UKSSSC recruitment examination, while the searches involving Rawat’s aide have created a political fallout for the Congress leader. Rawat’s resignation from the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee executive and his position as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee marks his stated effort to prevent the controversy from affecting the party’s anti-corruption campaign.

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