Guwahati: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, launched raids at multiple locations linked to retired IAS officer Sewali Devi Sharma and her alleged associates in connection with a Rs 105 crore scam involving the Assam State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), according to official sources.
ED officials conducted searches at eight premises associated with Sharma, who formerly served as executive chairman-cum-director of SCERT, as well as with individuals suspected of assisting her. These actions were taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
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The ED initiated the probe based on a May 2023 FIR registered by the Assam police, following directions from the Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell. The authorities arrested Sharma in Rajasthan shortly after they filed the complaint.
Police later filed a chargesheet accusing her of possessing disproportionate assets worth Rs 5.7 crore, sources said.
A 1992-batch IAS officer from the Rajasthan cadre, Sharma was on deputation to Assam when the alleged financial misappropriation occurred between 2017 and 2020, during her tenure at SCERT.
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She reportedly secured bail from the Supreme Court in March 2025 in connection with the case. Attempts to contact Sharma for a statement remained unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
As per the investigation, Sharma oversaw the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Cell of SCERT, where she implemented the two-year Diploma in Elementary Education program under the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). While the state approved 59 institutions and training for 27,897 teachers, Sharma allegedly created 347 unauthorized study centres and enrolled 1,06,828 trainees, allegedly to collect excessive funds.
Investigators said Sharma opened five separate bank accounts under the ODL Cell, listing herself as the sole signatory, violating established government procedures. She reportedly received ?115 crore in fees but spent over Rs 105 crore without obtaining financial clearance from the state government.
The ED claimed that she used the funds to procure goods and services without following official procedures, including releasing payments before verifying supply or work completion. Most contracts allegedly went to firms linked to her family members, including her daughter and son-in-law, or to Sarang More, a chartered accountant and auditor for the ODL Cell.
Authorities said the officials awarded these contracts without issuing public tenders or advertisements, even though government rules require such procedures for projects exceeding ?5 lakh. Except for two vendors, the entities involved lacked proven experience in executing such contracts. Officials reportedly made many payments without collecting receipts or verifying documentation of the actual work done.
The ED continues to investigate the extent of financial irregularities, suspecting large-scale diversion of public funds for personal and familial gain.