Guwahati: The Supreme Court of India has granted bail to controversial IAS officer Sewali Devi Sharma in SCERT scam case in Assam.

Sharma was arrested in May 2023 for her alleged involvement in the Rs 105 crore SCERT scam in Assam.

Sharma, the former head of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), was accused of misappropriating government funds meant for a Diploma in Elementary Education course.

The scam, which involves the misuse of funds allocated for the Open Distance Learning (ODL) system, led to a massive investigation. Sharma was accused of transferring funds from official bank accounts to other employees' accounts and then withdrawing the money.

After being denied bail by the Gauhati High Court, Sharma approached the Supreme Court, which has now granted her bail.

The arrest of Sharma and others, including Ajit Paul Singh, Rahul Amin, and a hotel housekeeper, was highly publicized in Assam. A few jornalists were also arrested in connection with the case.