Overview
- Harish Rawat, the former Uttarakhand chief minister, went to the Enforcement Directorate’s Dehradun office for questioning on Saturday in a probe linked to the 2016 Village Panchayat Development Officer recruitment exam.
- The ED has formally asked Rawat for a large set of documents, specifically past Income Tax Returns and detailed asset information for him and members of his family.
- The agency carried out searches on September 10 at multiple Dehradun locations, including the home of Rawat’s personal assistant Chandan Singh Jeena, where cash and jewellery were recovered.
- Rawat announced on September 12 that he would step down from all party posts after the recoveries, and he made a public video before appearing at the ED and wore a photograph of his mother on arrival.
- The probe started from FIRs over alleged UKSSSC exam irregularities and is being pursued under money-laundering rules, so the next steps will focus on document review, forensic analysis of seized phones and bank records, and possible further actions by the ED.