What is the story about?
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids across 18 locations in Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli and Madurai, in connection
with the 2017 teacher recruitment examination manipulation case. The searches were being carried out under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), based on a case that was originally registered by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in Chennai.
The case pertains to the alleged manipulation of marks in a Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) examination for the recruitment of lecturers in government polytechnic colleges. The probe agency suspects that bribes were paid to gain higher scores and better rankings for selected candidates.
2017 Teacher Recruitment Scam
The scam first came to light in 2017, after complaints of irregularities in the recruitment process.
A detailed scrutiny of answer sheets and marksheets revealed discrepancies in the marks given to candidates.
Investigators found that 200 candidates had allegedly been given fraudulent marks after the examination process, leading to a probe. In 2017, the Central Crime Branch filed a case against 196 candidates who allegedly applied for jobs as lecturers in polytechnic institutes.
A chargesheet was filed in 2021 against several accused.
The case had sparked widespread controversy in Tamil Nadu, with courts examining the extent of irregularities and the role of private agencies in processing examination data.
Investigators are now probing whether public servants, middlemen and candidates acted in concert to alter marks in exchange for money.
