Harish Rawat to appear before ED for questioning in 2016 recruitment case

Harish Rawat seen entering the office of the Enforcement Directorate in Dehradun on September 26, 2026. Photo: X/@PTI_News

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat arrived at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Dehradun office on Saturday (September 26, 2026) for questioning in a 2016 case related to alleged irregularities in a recruitment exam.

As he entered the office, Mr. Rawat had a photograph of his mother around his neck. Ahead of the questioning, he shared a video in which he said he received an ED notice summoning him for questioning two days ago.

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 on September 10 at several places in Dehradun, 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 sought a large number of documents from him. Specifically, the agency sought information related to his past Income Tax Returns (ITRs) and details of his assets and those of his family members.

Mr Rawat mentioned that the notice also asked for documents relating to his family, although he was not sure 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 collect old documents for each member.

The former chief minister added that he did not inform anyone in advance about his visit to the ED.

On 12 September, Mr Rawat announced his decision to resign from all party posts after the Enforcement Directorate recovered cash and jewelery from his personal assistant’s home.

Published – 26 Sep 2026 12:53 IST