ED Conducts Major Raids in Tamil Nadu Polytechnic Lecturer Recruitment Scam

Chennai, June 23: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched significant operations across Tamil Nadu, raiding 18 locations on Tuesday as part of its investigation into a money laundering case linked to the alleged Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) Polytechnic lecturer recruitment scam.

Raids were conducted in Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore, and Madurai. The agency has received allegations of large-scale financial transactions aimed at securing lecturer positions in government polytechnic colleges.

This case stems from an FIR filed by the Chennai Central Crime Branch (CCB) in 2017 and a charge sheet submitted in 2021. The investigation focuses on irregularities associated with the TRB examination conducted for the recruitment of 1,058 lecturers.

According to investigators, employees from a private agency based in New Delhi allegedly manipulated Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets and exam data, enabling certain candidates to be fraudulently selected.

The CCB’s investigation revealed extensive irregularities in the selection process, naming over 150 individuals, with around 196 candidates suspected of benefiting from the manipulation.

Investigative agencies claim that some candidates paid intermediaries between 2.5 million to 3 million rupees to ensure their selection for lecturer positions.

During the crime branch’s investigation, several arrests and raids were conducted. Based on the evidence gathered, the ED has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to investigate the alleged illegal earnings and the flow of related funds.

Officials state that the current raids aim to gather financial records, electronic devices, and other documents to trace the entire chain of transactions and identify the alleged beneficiaries.

In recent years, the ED has been actively addressing recruitment scams, alleged cash-for-jobs rackets, illegal sand mining, financial irregularities linked to TASMAC, and other corruption cases in Tamil Nadu.

As of late Tuesday evening, search operations were ongoing at several locations. Authorities indicate that further actions will be taken based on the evidence collected during the raids.