RAIPUR: A special court in Raipur has sent the former chairman of Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission Taman Singh Sonwani to a seven-day remand on Tuesday following his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the irregularities in recruitment process.
The CBI took Sonwani into custody on Monday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 45 lakh reportedly given by former director of Bajrang Power and Ispat Ltd Raipur Shravan Kumar Goyal to secure the position of deputy collector for his son and daughter-in-law. The premier investigating agency has also arrested Goyal and produced both before the court seeking a 14-day remand.
A case was registered by the CBI against Sonwani and others accused in July this year on a reference from the state government.
There were complaints of nepotism and fraud in the declared list of the Commission, citing a number of selected candidates close relatives of bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen had secured superior ranks and got better posts. The CGPSC-2021 exams recruitment list had candidates selected for 170 posts in twelve departments including the state administrative and police services.
The case was lodged on the basis of allegations of selection of close relatives on factors other than merit in the examination and interviews during the year 2020-2022.
The investigation into the irregularities continues.
The BJP while in opposition has made the alleged corruption in CGPSC as a major issue ahead of the Assembly polls in 2023 and had pledged a CBI probe into the alleged CGPSC scam in its manifesto, if voted to power.