Crime Chhattisgarh

ED arrests Baghel's former OSD in CGPSC exam irregularities case

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Chetan Borghariya, then Officer on Special Duty in former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel's office, on September 11 under PMLA in a money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the CGPSC State Service Examinations of 2020 and 2021. He is currently Additional Collector, Balrampur-Ramanujganj. ED said three men collected over Rs 3 crore from candidates, and Rs 66.64 lakh was deposited in Borghariya's account through 170 transactions. He was remanded to six days' ED custody.

Written by AI from Indian Express — India · not yet reviewed by an editor · Published 14 Sept 2026, 10:09 pm IST

Source

Indian Express — India · read the original report ↗

#cgpsc#enforcement directorate#money laundering#chhattisgarh#exam scam

Desk check · some claims need care

What the desk checked (5)

ED arrested Chetan Borghariya, then OSD in ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel's office, on September 11 under PMLA, 2002. — Attributed to ED; arrest date and legal provision appear in source.
Three men allegedly collected over Rs 3 crore from CGPSC 2021 candidates promising advance question papers. — Attributed to ED investigation findings; remains an allegation, not proven in court.
Cash deposits totalling Rs 66.64 lakh through 170 transactions were found in Borghariya's bank account. — Figure quoted directly from ED press statement of Monday.
Leaked papers were distributed at Siddhi Vinayak Marriage Palace, Raipur, and coaching given at Barnawapara Sanctuary Resort. — Stated as allegations established by ED; no independent confirmation in source.
Searches at Borghariya's premises were conducted on 01.09.2026. — Date as printed in source; internally inconsistent with the timeline, likely a typographical error.

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Deep dive

Research brief · 8 facts · 6 dates · exam-ready

The brief

Context

The Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) State Service Examinations of 2020 and 2021 are alleged to have been manipulated, with question papers leaked to select candidates. The EOW/ACB, Raipur registered an FIR in February 2024 alleging large-scale corruption; the case was later taken over by the CBI, which named the then CGPSC Chairman Taman Singh Sonwani and others. The Enforcement Directorate is running a parallel money laundering probe under the PMLA, 2002, and has now arrested Chetan Borghariya, then Officer on Special Duty in the office of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

Key facts

Chetan Borghariya, then OSD in former CM Bhupesh Baghel's office, was arrested by the ED on September 11 under the PMLA, 2002.
Borghariya is presently posted as Additional Collector, Balrampur-Ramanujganj, Chhattisgarh.
The ED probe stems from an FIR registered in February 2024 by the EOW/ACB, Raipur, on large-scale corruption and manipulation in CGPSC State Service Examinations.
The CBI took over the case and registered an FIR against Taman Singh Sonwani, the then CGPSC Chairman, and others, later filing charge sheets.
ED alleges three men - Utkarsh Chandrakar, Anil Chandrakar and Dr Vikash Chandrakar - collected illegal gratification exceeding Rs 3 crore from candidates of the CGPSC State Service Examination, 2021.
Financial probe found cash deposits totalling Rs 66.64 lakh through 170 transactions in Borghariya's bank account during the relevant period.
Leaked papers were allegedly distributed to candidates at Siddhi Vinayak Marriage Palace, Raipur, before the Preliminary Examination; coaching on leaked Mains papers was allegedly given at Barnawapara Sanctuary Resort.
ED suspects M/s Figurecave E-Com (OPC) Private Limited was used for layering and movement of funds; Borghariya was remanded to six days' ED custody.

Timeline

2020 and 2021CGPSC State Service Examinations in which irregularities and manipulation are alleged.
February 2024EOW/ACB, Raipur registers FIR on large-scale corruption and manipulation in CGPSC exams; ED probe initiated on this basis.
SubsequentlyCBI takes over the case, files FIR against then CGPSC Chairman Taman Singh Sonwani and others, and later files charge sheets.
01.09.2026 (as stated in ED release)ED conducts search at Borghariya's premises under PMLA; mobile phones and other digital devices seized.
September 11ED arrests Chetan Borghariya under PMLA; he is sent to six days' ED custody from the day of arrest.
MondayED issues press statement detailing bank deposits, digital evidence and alleged layering of funds.

Who has a stake

Chetan Borghariya — Then OSD in the CM's office, now Additional Collector, Balrampur-Ramanujganj; arrested under PMLA and in ED custody.
Enforcement Directorate — Investigating agency tracing proceeds of crime, bank deposits and layering of funds under PMLA, 2002.
CBI — Took over the predicate offence, filed FIR against the then CGPSC Chairman and others and submitted charge sheets.
EOW/ACB, Raipur — Registered the original February 2024 FIR that triggered the ED probe.
CGPSC and Taman Singh Sonwani — The commission's credibility is at stake; its then Chairman is named in the CBI FIR.
Utkarsh, Anil and Dr Vikash Chandrakar — Accused of collecting over Rs 3 crore from candidates on assurance of advance question papers and selection.
Bhupesh Baghel and his former office staff — Alleged access and influence in the then CM's office was used to give assurances; KK Chandravanshi, his former PA, is Utkarsh's uncle.
CGPSC aspirants — Genuine candidates of the 2020 and 2021 exams face doubts over merit-based selection.

Why it matters

Recruitment to state civil services rests entirely on the integrity of the examination process; an alleged paper leak sold for over Rs 3 crore strikes at the credibility of the CGPSC and at fair opportunity for aspirants. The arrest of a serving officer who was posted in the Chief Minister's office also raises questions about political-bureaucratic proximity in recruitment fraud and about the use of corporate entities to launder such money.

UPSC angle

Prelims pointers

ED arrests are made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
EOW/ACB, Raipur registered the original CGPSC FIR in February 2024; the CBI later took over the case.
Taman Singh Sonwani was the then Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC).
Alleged illegal gratification exceeded Rs 3 crore; Rs 66.64 lakh came into Borghariya's account via 170 transactions.
State Public Service Commissions are constitutional bodies; the case concerns CGPSC State Service Examinations of 2020 and 2021.
'Proceeds of crime' under PMLA covers acquisition, possession, concealment and use of tainted funds.

Mains framing

The CGPSC case illustrates how recruitment examinations can be captured when insiders in the examining body and functionaries close to political power allegedly converge: leaked preliminary papers were reportedly handed out at a marriage hall in Raipur and mains coaching given at a wildlife sanctuary resort, while over Rs 3 crore was allegedly collected from candidates on the promise of selection. The money trail - Rs 66.64 lakh in 170 cash deposits into an OSD's account and suspected layering through a private company - shows why a predicate FIR by the EOW/ACB and a CBI probe are followed by a parallel PMLA investigation targeting proceeds of crime. Causes include weak insulation of Public Service Commission appointments and processes from political influence, poor question-paper security, and the deterrent value of exam-fraud penalties being low relative to gains. Implications extend beyond one state: every unresolved leak erodes aspirants' faith in merit and in constitutional recruitment bodies. The way forward, on the facts available, lies in transparent and arm's-length appointments to commissions, auditable question-paper custody chains, digital forensics and bank-trail scrutiny as routine investigative tools, and time-bound completion of prosecutions so that both the guilty and wrongly suspected selections are settled quickly.

Key terms

PMLA, 2002: Prevention of Money Laundering Act, under which the ED investigates, searches, attaches property and arrests in money laundering cases.
CGPSC: Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission, which conducts the State Service Examination for state civil services recruitment.
Officer on Special Duty (OSD): An officer attached to a minister's or Chief Minister's office for specific duties; Borghariya held this post in Baghel's office.
EOW/ACB: Economic Offences Wing / Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Chhattisgarh state agency that registered the original FIR in February 2024.
Proceeds of crime: Property or money derived from a scheduled offence; its acquisition, possession, concealment or use attracts PMLA action.
Layering: Stage of money laundering where funds are routed through entities or transactions to disguise their illicit origin.

Practice questions

Examine how alleged collusion between examining bodies and political offices undermines merit-based recruitment, using the CGPSC case as an illustration. What institutional safeguards would you recommend?
Discuss the role of the Enforcement Directorate under the PMLA, 2002 in cases where a state agency and the CBI are already investigating the predicate offence. Does parallel investigation strengthen or complicate accountability?
State Public Service Commissions are constitutional bodies meant to insulate recruitment from political interference. Critically assess this claim in light of recent examination irregularity cases.

Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.

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