Several Chief Ministers have been embroiled in financial scandals throughout India’s political history. These scandals vary in nature and scale but typically involve allegations of corrupt practices, such as bribery, embezzlement, or money laundering. Past scandals have damaged public trust in the political system and raised questions about accountability mechanisms.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) plays a crucial role in financial crime investigations in India. Tasked with enforcing the Prevention of Laundering Act and the Foreign Exchange Management Act, the ED often investigates high-profile cases, including those involving Chief Ministers. Some time back, opposition leaders, including chief ministers of some states, approached the Supreme Court for relief from arrest, but their plea was rejected.
Chief Minister against whom cases are registered (Different stages of Investigation)
| Name | Political status | Scam | Current status |
| Mr Hemant Soren | Chief Minister of Jharkhand | Money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. Illegal Mining Case | Summoned 10 times but finally but agreed to face officials on January 31 2024 |
| Mr Arvind Kejriwal | Chief Minister of Delhi | Liquor Scam (connection with excise policy case) | 5th summons has been issued to him asking him to be extend time on February 02, 2024. He ignored earlier 4 summons calling them Illegal and Politically Motivated |
| Mr Manish Sosodia | Ex Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi | Liquor Scam (connection with excise policy case) | Already in Jail since February 26, 2023 |
| Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav | Ex Chief Minister of Bihar | Land for Job Scam | Facing Questioning Otherwise convicted in fodder scam (sentenced to five-year jail term) |
| Mrs Rabri Devi | Ex Chief Minister of Bihar | Land for Job Scam | Called for further trail on february 9, 2024 |
| Mr Tejashwi Yadav | Ex Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar | Beneficiary of Land for Job Scam | Faced ED interrogation for 8 hours on January 30, 2024 |
| Mr Bhupesh Bhagel | Ex Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh | Mahadev Betting aap (506 Crore) (Digital evidences are against hin, (irregularities in coal transportation (1000 Crore), operation of liquor Scam (Excise Tax evasion) | Case under Investigation |
| Mr D K Shiva Kumar | Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka | Disproportionate asset Case | Facing investigation |
| Mr Ajit Pawar | Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra | Sugar Mill Purchase Case and Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam (2019) | Facing investigation |
| Mr Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy | Ex Chief Minister of telengana | Several alleged scams, including the disproportionate assets case and others | Facing investigation |
| Mr Revant Reddy | Current Chief Minister of Telangana | In the year 2015, Case of bribery was registered. He bribed 50 Lakhs in Cash to nominated MLA to vote for him | ED has also called them for questioning, money laundering and the source of 50 Lakhs worth Cash |
| Mr Pinarayi Vijayan | Current Chief Minister of Kerala | When he was the electricity minister 13 years back CBI Charge sheeted him for alleged corruption in a contract awarded to Canadian firm SNC Lavalin for modernisation of hydroelectric projects in Idukki. | Facing Investigations |
| Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda | Ex Chief Minister of Haryana | Manesar land deal case, and land allotment in Panchkula to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL). | ED has filed has already filed a prosecution complaint against Hooda and senior Congress leader Motilal Vora in the AJL case |
| Mr Ashok Gehlot | Ex Chief Minister of Rajasthan | Rajasthan ambulance scam’ case. The 2015 case pertains to giving a contract to run ‘108’ ambulance service to Ziqitza Healthcare in a fraudulent manner in 2010. Chief Minister son Vaibhav Gehlot is facing summons for his involvement in Forex Violation Case | Facing Investigations |
| Mr Akhilesh Yadav | Ex Chief Minister of UP | Irregularities in the Gomti riverfront project as well as mining contracts. | Under investigation by both the CBI and the ED |
| Mrs Mayawati | Ex Chief Minister of UP | Several projects and schemes during her tenure as CM are under investigation. (Park’s Ambedkar Park or others And a house worth crores that was built in Delhi) | Schemes under investigations |
| Mr Omar Abdullah | Ex Chief Minister of J & K | money laundering probe concerning the financial affairs of J&K Bank and appointment of its directors. | Questioned by ED in 2022 |
| Mr Farooq Abdulah | Ex Chief Minister of J & K | irregularities in grants given by the BCCI to the J&K Cricket Association (JKCA). | Probe is under progress |
| Ms Mehbooba Mufti | Ex Chief Minister of J & K | Facing an ED probe in the J&K Bank matter as well, based on two diaries allegedly seized by the ED during a raid. The diaries allegedly mention purported payments made to Mufti family. | Probe is under progress |
| Mr Shankersinh Vaghela | Ex Chief Minister of Gujarat | Case registered when he was the when he was Union textile minister Allegedly causing a loss of Rs 709 crore to the exchequer by selling a prime land in Mumbai. | CBI booked him in 2015, the ED case came in August 2016, |
| Mr Sharad Pawar | Ex Chief Minister of Maharashtra | He and his Grand nephew is facing summons for money laundering and irregularities in Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam (2019) | Facing Investigation |
| Mr Nabam Tuki | Ex Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh | Alleged money laundering, alleging that Tuki, then a minister, had colluded with his brother to siphon off money | CBO booked in 2019, Investigation under progress |
| Mr Okram Ibobi Singh | Ex Chief Minister of Mizoram | Alleged misappropriation of Rs 332 cr in Manipur Development Society when Ibobi was its chairman. | ED registered PMLA case against him |
| Mrs Mamta Banerjee | Chief Minister of West Bangal | Many scams were registered at West Bengal (Well knows are West Bengal School recruitment scam, Bengal coal scam) and some of the minister and top party officials are in Jail or facing summons and questioning | Cases under investigations and nephew Abhishek Banerjee is being called for questioning |
| Mr M K Stalin | Chief Minister of Tamilnadu | Some of the minister are arrested under Money Laundering Case | |
| Mr Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao | Ex Chief Minister of telengana | Ex Telangana CM, KCR daughter name is there in Delhi Excise Policy scam (Part of South Liquor Cartel) | Cases under investigations |
| Mr Chhagan Bhujbal | Ex Chief Minister of Maharashtra | Faced several cases of corruption, money laundering, and extortion. | Cases under investigations |
| Late Mrs Jayalalithaa | Ex Chief Minister of Tamilnadu | Disproportionate Assets Case, which was subject to investigation | beneficiaries of the scams are under the radar |
| Late Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh | Ex Chief Minister of Maharashtra | His name was involved in various scams and beneficiaries of the scams are under the radar | beneficiaries of the scams are under the radar |
| Other then the above Names, Ex congress President Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi (Both on bail) andMallikarjun Kharge are facing ED trail in the well known National herald Corruption case | |||
Note: The above list represents a small number, as many other names exist.
Global Corruption Index
The CPI is (CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX) a handy global indicator, but it is limited to experts’ and business people’s perceptions of corruption in the public sector. Earlier the countries were 175, and now the total countries is 180
https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021
| Year | India Rank out of 180 Countries |
| 2015 | 76th |
| 2016 | 79th |
| 2017 | 81th |
| 2018 | 78th |
| 2019 | 80th |
| 2020 | 86th |
| 2021 | 85th |
| 2022 | 85th |
| 2023 | 93rd |
Studies published in 2007 and 2008 in The European Physical Journal found that countries and territories with higher CPI rankings were more likely to experience more long-term economic growth and experienced GDP increases of 1.7% for every point added to their CPI score. India’s CPI index is increasing, which is suggestive of positive change under the regime of the current central government.
Corruption continues to be a big hurdle to political, economic, and social development. The Impact is more significant when chief ministerial candidates are involved. Corruption involving Chief Ministers shows vulnerability and loopholes in India’s political and financial systems. They highlight the need for further reforms in anti-corruption legislation, the role of investigatory agencies, and political accountability. The honourable Prime Minister, in his speech, urged the nation to fight against corruption, nepotism, and appeasement. International Anti-Corruption Day is celebrated annually on December 9th. The day is observed to raise awareness about corruption and the role of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in preventing it. Various state and central government machinery are working to their best, but more is needed to curb corruption; the citizens of India need to be vigilant and stay abreast of scams and corruption in their respective states. Citizens need to adopt the path of neutrality; once they stop casting votes to any corrupt ministers, they won’t get a chance to represent us and get involved in scams in future. Thus, it’s time to unite towards a “corruption-free India.”