The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has detained Utkarsh Chandrakar, who is the nephew of KK Chandrakar, the former Personal Assistant to ex-Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. His arrest took place on September 1, following a series of search operations across five locations in Raipur, Durg, Dhamtari, and Jashpur in Chhattisgarh.

This operation was carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in relation to allegations of corruption, including a question paper leak involving the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) examination conducted in 2021. The ED’s investigation reportedly stems from irregularities tied to the CGPSC recruitment process during 2020 and 2021.

Details of Allegations and Financial Transactions

According to an official statement from the ED, Utkarsh Chandrakar and another individual, Dr Vikash Chandrakar, allegedly amassed over Rs 3 crore in cash from various job aspirants by promising to provide them with leaked question papers from the CGPSC-2021 exam. It is reported that Rs 2.80 crore of this amount was transferred to an individual named Anil Chandrakar.

Utkarsh reportedly leveraged the influence and position of KK Chandrakar, his maternal uncle, to persuade job seekers to pay large sums under the pretext of obtaining leaked examination materials. The ED has also indicated that the recruitment process was characterised by corruption and manipulation, with question papers allegedly being made available to selected candidates for illicit gratification.

Investigative measures have revealed that the questions were shared with relatives of the accused and chosen candidates through intermediaries, leading to improper placements in senior public positions such as Deputy Collector and Deputy Superintendent of Police.

Further Investigations and Evidence Compilation

The ED’s inquiries were initiated following two First Information Reports (FIRs) from the Economic Offences Wing, Anti-Corruption Branch, and the Central Bureau of Investigation against Taman Singh Sonwani, who was the Chairman of CGPSC at the time, among others. These FIRs cited extensive irregularities in the CGPSC State Service Examinations held in 2020 and 2021.

Previous searches related to this case were conducted on June 3, and the gathered evidence, including digital data from mobile phones and analyses of banking transactions, supported the ED’s claims. The agency asserts that Utkarsh was actively involved in activities linked to the Proceeds of Crime, which encompasses the generation, acquisition, and management of such financial gains.

As a result of the findings, Utkarsh Chandrakar was formally arrested under Section 19 of the PMLA on September 1, 2026. The latest search operation yielded a range of evidence, including incriminating documents and financial records, which the ED has acknowledged as pertinent to their ongoing investigation.

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