Assam: ED raids eight locations linked to former IAS officer in DA case

The Enforcement Directorate, on August 5, launched extensive searches at premises connected with retired IAS officer Sewali Devi Sharma in a disproportionate assets case.

The agency has raided at least eight premises connected with Sharma, a former executive chairman-cum-director of the Assam State Council of Educational Research and Training.

The money laundering case stems from an FIR filed by the state police on the directions of the Assam CM's Special Vigilance Cell.

Sharma was earlier chargesheeted by police for alleged possession of disproportionate assets worth Rs 5.7 crore.

The former bureaucrat could not be contacted immediately for a comment on the ED action.

Sharma, according to sources, served as the Executive Chairman-cum-Director of Open and Distance Learning Cell (ODL) of the SCERT and was responsible for the implementation of the National Council for Teacher Education's (NCTE) two-year Diploma in Elementary Education programme.

The state government had earlier approved the creation of 59 institutions and the training of 27,897 teachers.

Sharma is alleged to have opened 347 study centres and enrolled 1,06,828 trainees to "collect more funds." Sharma, the sources claimed, opened five bank accounts for the ODL Cell, where she was the "sole signatory," in "violation" of the Assam Financial Responsibility and Budget Management Act of 2005.

Of the Rs 115 crore she received in fees from individuals, she allegedly spent more than Rs 105 crore without obtaining financial sanction from the state government, sources alleged.

The expenditure was incurred for supplies and execution of works without following the rules and procedures, and payments were released without complete supply of materials, and no work was done, they claimed.

These contracts, as per ED's probe, were given to entities owned or controlled by associates or family members (son-in-law, daughter) of Sharma as well as to a chartered accountant, Sarang More, who was the auditor of the ODL Cell.

The contracts were awarded "without" advertisements or invitations for tenders, as stipulated by the government for each procurement of above Rs 5 lakh, sources alleged.

Except for two parties, none had any experience to execute work orders awarded to them, and payments were made without the required receipts or verification of actual supply, the ED claimed.