Chennai, June 25: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a significant operation, conducting searches at 21 locations across Chennai, Madurai, Trichy, and Coimbatore. This action is part of an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, linked to a scam involving the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) during the lecturer recruitment examination for government polytechnic colleges in 2017.
The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR filed by the Tamil Nadu police in 2017. The FIR accused individuals of digitally altering scanned images of OMR sheets during the examination process, thereby inflating the scores of certain selected candidates compared to the final answer key.
The accused had arranged for 385 additional secondary OMR sheets bearing the names of these selected candidates. As a result, 262 ineligible candidates were fraudulently deemed qualified for the position of polytechnic lecturer. This manipulation was uncovered through public petitions, leading to a re-evaluation of the results, which were subsequently revoked, and a case was registered. The Tamil Nadu police filed the first charge sheet in 2021 and a second in October 2023.
The ED’s investigation revealed that the accused, led by V. Subramaniam and his associate Suresh Paul, conspired to manipulate the examination process in 2017 with the assistance of technical staff from Datatech (Sheikh Dawood Nasar and I. Raghupathi). They targeted prospective candidates through a network of agents and intermediaries, collecting cash payments ranging from 1.4 to 1.6 million rupees.
This cash was funneled through ‘mule accounts’ and proxy firms (Trust Enterprises, Wisdom Enterprises, and Surya Enterprises), as well as through accounts held by associates and family members, later converting it into real estate and jewelry.
The purpose of the ED’s searches was to uncover the ‘proceeds of crime’ associated with this scam. During the raids, several incriminating items were seized, including records of cash collected by agents/accused, carbon copies of OMR sheets from various government examinations, copies of different candidates’ certificates, and digital evidence.
Additionally, 1.318 million rupees in cash were confiscated. Fifty-six bank accounts and two demat accounts have been frozen. Documents related to 36 properties owned by the accused and their associates, valued at approximately 9.67 crore rupees, were also seized. The market value of these properties is expected to exceed 20 crore rupees. The ED continues its investigation into this matter.
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