The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched coordinated raids across multiple locations associated with retired IAS officer Sewali Devi Sharma and her alleged associates in connection with a ₹105 crore scam involving the Assam State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) on Tuesday.
Acting under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), ED officials conducted searches at eight premises tied to Sharma—who earlier held the position of Executive Chairman-cum-Director of SCERT—as well as others suspected to have assisted in the financial misappropriation.
The investigation stems from an FIR registered by the Assam Police in May 2023, following a probe initiated by the Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell. Sharma was arrested soon after in Rajasthan, where she was located at the time of the complaint. She was later granted bail by the Supreme Court in March 2025.
According to officials, the police had already filed a chargesheet accusing Sharma of possessing disproportionate assets worth ₹5.7 crore. Originally from the 1992 batch of the Rajasthan cadre, Sharma was on deputation to Assam during her tenure with SCERT from 2017 to 2020, when the alleged scam took place.
Investigators claim Sharma misused her position while overseeing the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Cell of SCERT, which was responsible for implementing a two-year Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) program under the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). While the Assam government had approved 59 institutions to train 27,897 teachers, Sharma allegedly authorized 347 unauthorized study centres and enrolled 1,06,828 trainees, thereby collecting funds far beyond the approved capacity.
The ED’s probe revealed that Sharma opened five separate bank accounts under the ODL Cell—listing herself as the sole signatory, in violation of established financial protocols. These accounts reportedly received ₹115 crore in trainee fees, of which over ₹105 crore was spent without any financial approval from the state government.
Sharma allegedly used the funds to procure goods and services without following government tendering procedures, often releasing payments before verifying supplies or completion of work. Many of the contracts were reportedly awarded to entities connected to her daughter, son-in-law, and chartered accountant Sarang More, who also served as the auditor for the ODL Cell.
Officials noted that most of these contracts were handed out without public tenders, despite government norms mandating open bidding for projects exceeding ₹5 lakh. Apart from two vendors, the firms involved reportedly had no prior experience in executing such contracts. Payments were often made without proper receipts or documentation.
