The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched raids on Tuesday targeting retired IAS officer Sewali Devi Sharma and her associates in a massive Rs 105 crore fraud case linked to the Assam State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). The searches, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), covered eight premises connected to Sharma, a former executive chairman-cum-director of SCERT’s Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Cell, and her alleged accomplices.
The case originates from a May 2023 FIR filed by Assam police, prompted by the Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell, which led to Sharma’s arrest in Rajasthan. A 1992-batch IAS officer from Rajasthan, Sharma was on deputation in Assam during the alleged irregularities between 2017 and 2020. She was previously chargesheeted for possessing disproportionate assets worth Rs 5.7 crore and secured bail from the Supreme Court in March 2025.
Sources reveal Sharma oversaw the National Council for Teacher Education’s two-year Diploma in Elementary Education program, meant to train 27,897 teachers across 59 approved institutions. Instead, she allegedly set up 347 unauthorized study centers, enrolling 1,06,828 trainees to amass excess funds. Sharma is accused of opening five bank accounts without state approval, acting as the sole signatory in violation of regulations. Of the Rs 115 crore collected in fees, she allegedly misspent over Rs 105 crore without financial sanction.
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The ED alleges that contracts were awarded to entities controlled by Sharma’s family, including her son-in-law and daughter, and to chartered accountant Sarang More, the ODL Cell’s auditor, without tenders or advertisements. Most recipients lacked relevant experience, and payments were made without verifying supplies or completed work, breaching government protocols. The ongoing investigation aims to uncover the full extent of the financial misconduct.
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