Teams began searches early in the morning in Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg, Gariaband, Ambikapur, Mahasamund and Jagdalpur. The operation focused on residences, offices, private properties, and ancestral holdings of officials whose names surfaced during a long-running inquiry.
Sources in the department said the action stems from complaints linked to the 2024 Patwari-to-RI recruitment examination. Allegations included manipulated marks, procedural violations, external influence, and preferential treatment of relatives. Preliminary inquiries also indicated that several promoted officials own assets far exceeding their known sources of income.
During the searches, teams reportedly recovered cash, gold and silver jewellery, high-value property documents, and electronic devices suspected to contain evidence of suspicious financial transactions. Officials are said to be compiling an inventory of seized materials, though the ACB–EOW has not issued a formal statement yet.
The recruitment exam held on 7 January 2024 saw participation from over 2,600 patwaris, with 216 candidates initially shortlisted for training. However, only 13 were ultimately found eligible, while a committee raised questions regarding the selection of 22 candidates. Complaints alleged that a significant number of examinees were close relatives of serving officials, suggesting systemic manipulation.
The ongoing probe aims to establish whether the alleged irregularities influenced promotions and facilitated accumulation of illicit assets. Further action is expected once the agency completes the analysis of seized documents and digital evidence.
Officials indicated that more raids and questioning of suspects may follow as the investigation progresses.
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