CID Investigates KPSC Recruitment Scam Involving BJP Leader and IAS Officer
CID Raids BJP Leader's Residence in Recruitment Scam
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Bengaluru, September 1: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted a raid on the home of BJP leader Basavaraj Kannale in Sanjaynagar, Bengaluru, on Tuesday as part of the inquiry into the alleged Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) recruitment scandal.
During the operation, CID officials reportedly confiscated call detail records (CDRs) and CCTV footage to aid their investigation, according to sources.
Reports indicate that approximately 20 candidates are prepared to testify against the accused, admitting their participation in the alleged scam. The CID is also scrutinizing irregularities related to the recruitment of KAS officers and Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySPs).
In the case, suspended KPSC Chairman Sahukar Shivashankarappa has been identified as accused No. 1, with KPSC members listed as accused No. 2, KPSC officials as accused No. 4, and 29 selected candidates as accused No. 5.
Investigators have determined that these 29 candidates paid money linked to the recruitment process.
Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, an arrested IAS officer, is also named as the fifth accused, while BJP leader Basavaraj Kannale is the sixth accused.
Both Gyanendra Kumar and Kannale have been taken into custody by the CID, with further legal actions anticipated against other accused individuals who have yet to be apprehended.
The investigation is also looking into the roles of alleged middlemen and their participation in the recruitment process.
Gyanendra Kumar, who was in charge of conducting examinations and ensuring the confidentiality of question papers, is now considered a key suspect in the case.
As the investigation continues, the CID is expected to make additional arrests, according to sources.
A Bengaluru court has remanded IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar and BJP leader Basavaraj Kannale to 10 days of CID custody regarding the alleged KPSC recruitment irregularities involving veterinary officer recruitment.
The court has allowed the CID to hold the two until September 9 to facilitate further questioning and investigation into the alleged leak of question papers, manipulation of OMR answer sheets, and other irregularities in the recruitment process.
Gyanendra Kumar was arrested after two days of questioning concerning irregularities in the veterinary officer recruitment examination. He was subsequently presented before the Bengaluru First Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) court, which had previously remanded him to one day of judicial custody and ordered his appearance in an open court on August 31.
Investigators conducted extensive questioning of Kumar on August 28 and 29, with the interrogation reportedly lasting late into the night. Officials are examining inconsistencies in his statements and evidence that suggests his involvement in the alleged manipulation of OMR sheets.
The agency is also probing claims that selected candidates received training at hotels and resorts as part of the alleged recruitment process.