The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at 18 locations across Tamil Nadu regarding the alleged Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) Polytechnic Lecturer Examination scam. The searches were carried out in Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore, and Madurai following accusations of financial transactions to influence appointments in Government Polytechnic College lecturer recruitment.
The ED’s actions are based on a case filed by the Chennai City Central Crime Branch (CCB) in 2017 and a subsequent chargesheet in 2021. The investigation focuses on suspected irregularities in the recruitment of 1,058 lecturers through TRB-conducted examinations.
Allegations suggest that a private agency in New Delhi tampered with Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets and manipulated exam data to aid specific candidates in securing appointments through fraudulent means. The CCB’s probe revealed widespread irregularities in the selection process, with over 150 individuals implicated in the case and nearly 196 candidates suspected of benefiting from the alleged manipulation.
Officials claim that some candidates paid intermediaries between ₹25 lakh and ₹30 lakh to secure lecturer positions. The ED’s search operations aim to gather financial records, electronic devices, and documents to trace the money trail and identify those involved in the purported fraud.
The recent searches are part of a series of high-profile ED operations in Tamil Nadu, which have targeted cases related to recruitment scams, cash-for-jobs schemes, illegal sand mining, TASMAC-related financial irregularities, and corruption investigations in public institutions. Ongoing search operations are expected to continue, with further actions contingent on the evidence collected during the raids.
