Chennai, 23 June (H.S.):The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out coordinated searches at 18 locations across Tamil Nadu in connection with the alleged Polytechnic Lecturer Recruitment Examination scam, reviving focus on one of the State’s most controversial recruitment fraud cases.

The searches were conducted in Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore and Madurai as part of a money laundering investigation linked to alleged manipulation in the recruitment of lecturers for Government Polytechnic Colleges.

The ED action is based on a case originally registered by the Chennai City Central Crime Branch (CCB), which investigated allegations of large-scale irregularities in the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) examination conducted in 2017 for filling 1,058 lecturer posts. A charge sheet in the case was filed in 2021.

Investigators had alleged that employees of a private agency based in New Delhi manipulated Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets and examination-related data, enabling certain candidates to secure appointments through unlawful means. The alleged tampering raised serious concerns about the integrity of the recruitment process and triggered a detailed criminal investigation.

The CCB probe identified widespread irregularities and booked more than 150 individuals in connection with the case. Authorities had also alleged that some candidates paid middlemen substantial sums of money, reportedly ranging from ₹25 lakh to ₹30 lakh, to obtain lecturer positions.

Based on the findings of the criminal investigation, the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to trace the proceeds generated through the alleged scam and identify those who benefited financially.

Officials said the searches were aimed at collecting documents, digital records and financial evidence that could help establish the flow of money linked to the recruitment fraud.

The latest operation adds to a series of high-profile ED actions in Tamil Nadu in recent years. The agency has conducted raids in several politically sensitive and corruption-related cases, including investigations into recruitment irregularities, alleged cash-for-jobs scams, illegal sand mining operations and financial improprieties involving public institutions.

Searches were continuing at multiple locations on Tuesday evening, and officials indicated that further action would be taken based on the evidence recovered.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman