Harish Rawat appears before ED for questioning in 2016 recruitment case
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Harish Rawat seen entering Enforcement Directorate’s Dehradun office on September 26, 2026. Photo: X/@PTI_News
Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat arrived at the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) Dehradun office on Saturday (September 26, 2026) for questioning in a 2016 case involving alleged irregularities in a recruitment exam.
Mr. Rawat wore a photograph of his mother around his neck as he entered the office. Before the questioning, he shared a video stating that he had received an ED notice two days earlier summoning him for questioning.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities in the 2016 Village Panchayat Development Officer (VPDO) recruitment examination conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UKSSSC).
In connection with the matter, the ED conducted searches at several locations in Dehradun on September 10, including the residence of Chandan Singh Jeena, Mr. Rawat's current personal assistant, who also served as his Officer on Special Duty (OSD) during his tenure as Chief Minister.
In his video, Mr. Rawat noted that the ED had requested a large number of documents from him. Specifically, the agency sought information regarding his past Income Tax Returns (ITR) and details about his assets and those of his family members.
Mr. Rawat mentioned that the notice also requested documents related to his family, although he was uncertain about which members were specifically included under the definition of ‘family'.
He pointed out that he has a large family, and his daughters are married, making it difficult to gather old documents for every member.
The former Chief Minister added that he had not informed anyone beforehand about his visit to the ED.
On September 12, Mr. Rawat announced his decision to step down from all party posts after the Enforcement Directorate recovered cash and jewellery from his personal assistant's house.
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