Enforcement Directorate raids seven sites over alleged ₹1.14 crore APPSC exam scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided seven premises in Hyderabad, Secunderabad and surrounding districts on Wednesday, probing a suspected scam linked to the manual grading of the APPSC Group‑I Main Examination. The probe stems from an FIR filed by Suryaraopet police in Vijayawada that alleges irregularities in the manual evaluation process and a payment of ₹1,14,32,312 to private firm CamSign Media Pvt. Ltd. The ED’s Hyderabad Zonal Office, acting under the Prevention of Money‑Laundering Act, searched locations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, including the residence of former APPSC Secretary P. Seetharamanjaneyulu, the offices of CamSign Media and its managing director P. Madhusudhana Rao, and resorts tied to the evaluation work. After the Andhra Pradesh High Court set aside digital grading in November 2021, the APPSC turned to CamSign Media to conduct manual checks at Haailand Resorts, Chinnakakani village, Guntur district. Investigators say answer scripts were shifted from official halls and stored at the resort for 84 days between December 2021 and February 2022, with no genuine manual marking performed; instead, digital scores were allegedly copied as manual scores. A cheque dated 16 February 2022, signed by Seetharamanjaneyulu, released the ₹1.14 crore to CamSign Media for work that the ED says was never done. During the raids, the ED seized documents, digital devices and property records, and recorded statements from the accused, including Seetharamanjaneyulu. The agency is tracing how the funds were used, noting part of the sum paid for the resort’s services while the balance’s flow remains under scrutiny. Further investigation continues. ## Context The case highlights how shifts from digital to manual processes can create loopholes for fraud, especially when large sums are transferred without transparent verification. It also underscores the ED’s expanding focus on alleged money‑laundering activities in public‑sector examinations.