ED arrests ex-chairman of CGSPC Taman Singh
The Raipur office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Taman Singh Sonwani, the former Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC), on Sunday. He was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, due to allegations of corruption, leaked question papers, and irregularities in the 2020 and 2021 CGPSC State Service Examinations.
Sonwani, who is a retired IAS officer and former CGPSC Chairman, appeared before the Special Court (PMLA) in Raipur. The court placed him in ED custody for seven days, until July 30, 2026, for further questioning. This is the first time the Enforcement Directorate is looking into the money-laundering part of a case that state agencies and the Central Bureau of Investigation have already examined.
The ED started its investigation after the Economic Offences Wing and Anti-Corruption Bureau in Raipur filed a First Information Report. In 2024, the CBI also opened a case. The CBI began its probe after the Bharatiya Janata Party took office in Chhattisgarh in November 2023, following complaints about irregularities during the previous Congress government. The CBI arrested Sonwani in November 2024, and he remains in judicial custody for related cases.
The ED claims that while Sonwani was CGPSC Chairman, he worked with other officials and private individuals to leak confidential question papers and influence the selection process in return for illegal payments. According to the agency, this resulted in his relatives and other favoured candidates being appointed to senior positions like Deputy Collector and Deputy Superintendent of Police.
Investigators found that in 2021, the CGPSC recruitment rules changed to remove the word ‘nephew’ from the definition of ‘family.’ Authorities believe this change made it possible for Sonwani’s relatives to be selected without breaking conflict-of-interest rules.
The ED says illegal money was collected in both cash and bank transfers. Investigators found that about Rs 45 lakh was sent from Bajrang Power Limited, linked to industrialist Shravan Kumar Goyal, as Corporate Social Responsibility donations to a Rural Development Committee run by Sonwani’s family. This money was supposedly for a college that did not exist. Authorities say this payment was made so Goyal’s son and daughter-in-law could be appointed as Deputy Collectors. The CBI had earlier explained that question papers were taken to Sonwani’s home, copied, resealed, and then passed on through intermediaries before the exams.
The CBI’s investigation culminated in a final chargesheet naming about 29 people, including CGPSC officials, coaching ecentre operators, industrialists, and well-connected candidates. Several recruitment exams held during Sonwani’s time as Chairman are being reviewed due to claims that many top candidates were related to officials or other influential figures.
The ED officials are likely to question Sonwani again to trace the flow of funds, identify additional beneficiaries, and recover illegal funds. The investigation is ongoing as agencies try to uncover the full extent of the alleged conspiracy.
