CGPSC 'nepotism' scam: CBI arrests ex-chairman, businessman for Rs 45 lakh bribe

The CBI has arrested former chairman of Chhattisgarh Public Service Commisson (CGPSC) Taman Singh Sonwani for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 45 lakh from the director of a Raipur-based steel company for ensuring selection of latter's son and daughter-in-law as deputy collectors, officials said Monday.

The agency has also arrested Shravan Kumar Goyal, director of Bajrang Power and Ispat Ltd, who had allegedly paid bribes through Gramin Vikas Samiti where Sonwani's relatives were members in two installments of Rs 20 lakh and Rs 25 lakh, they said.

It is alleged that the bribe was meant for the selection of Goyal's son Sashank and daughter-in-law Bhumika Kataria as deputy collectors in Chattisgarh Public Service Commission examination.

The CBI had registered an FIR against Sonwani and others in July this year on a reference from the Chhattisgarh government dated February 16. They were booked in alleged "nepotism" racket in which "ineligible" family members of politicians, PSC officials and public servants were recruited in lucrative government jobs during the Congress rule.

The BJP ousted the Congress from Chhattisgarh in assembly elections held in November, 2023.

It is alleged that manipulations took place in the 2022 CGPSC examination, the results of which were declared on May 11, 2023.

Sonwani,  CGPSC's ex-secretary Jeevan Kishore Dhruv and a controller of examination have been booked for helping their sons, daughters, relatives and acquaintances score high in the merit list to ensure their recruitment as deputy collectors, deputy SPs, and other such posts.

The complaint, now part of the CBI FIR, alleged that candidates making it in the merit list from serial numbers 1-171, which included Sashank and Bhumika -the daughter of a Congress leader, were allegedly related to government officials, politicians and influential persons.

Sashank and Bhumika were in top 10 ranks on the merit list.

It has alleged that if the relatives of a Chhattisgarh PSC official appear for a test, then the concerned person has to recuse himself from the process after informing other members and officials of the commission, which Sonwani did not do.

Sonwani violated the rules and selected his family members and relatives of other officials and influential persons, it said terming Sonwani's actions as corruption.

"The candidates who scored well in the examination are relatives of PSC officials, government officials and politicians. It shows that the candidates were provided the examination paper in advance, enabling them to score well and get good ranks in the results," the complaint alleged.