Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat has announced he is stepping down from two organizational posts in the Congress party. His decision follows an Enforcement Directorate raid on the Dehradun residence of his long-serving aide, Chandan Singh Jeena, as part of a money-laundering investigation into the alleged manipulation of a 2016 recruitment exam. During the searches, investigators reported recovering roughly 32 lakh rupees in unaccounted cash, about 200 grams of gold jewelry, a dozen luxury wristwatches, and frozen bank accounts holding over 52 lakh rupees.

In a social media post, Rawat stated he was relinquishing his position on the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee executive and his role as a permanent invitee to the party’s national Working Committee. He argued that allegations against someone closely associated with him should not weaken the party’s campaign against corruption ahead of state elections expected next year. Rawat described Jeena as an honest and hardworking aide, though he added he would feel ashamed if evidence proved otherwise, and he invited investigators to examine his own conduct directly.

The Enforcement Directorate’s case originates from four police complaints alleging that answer sheets from the 2016 exam were removed from secure custody and manipulated for bribes. Searches were also conducted at the homes of the commission’s former chairman, secretary, and exam controller, as well as the private computer agency that processed the answer sheets. Rawat defended the creation of the recruitment commission, which he initiated during his tenure as chief minister, while acknowledging that errors of judgment may have occurred.