Former Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (PSC) chairman Daman Singh Sonwani, 64, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to alleged question paper leaks and recruitment irregularities.
Complaints had surfaced that question papers for PSC examinations held in 2020 and 2021 were leaked and that malpractice occurred in some tests during the 2018–2023 period when the Congress was in power in the state. A case was registered in 2024 and is being investigated by the CBI.
Sonwani, a retired IAS officer who headed the PSC during the period in question, was questioned as part of the probe. Investigators alleged that PSC rules were amended to facilitate the appointment of his family members to government posts. The CBI arrested him in 2024, and he is currently out on bail.
The investigation also found allegations that bribes were taken from some applicants for district deputy collector posts and that the money was not returned. A portion was allegedly received in cash, while another portion was routed to an organisation in his family’s name, after which the case was transferred to the ED.
Following questioning of Sonwani and his family members, the ED arrested him on Friday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He is to be produced before a court, and officials plan to seek custody for further interrogation.
