KPSC scam: IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar to be produced in court today; BJP leader’s house raided

IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar, arrested in the alleged KPSC recruitment scam, will be produced before a Bengaluru court as CID seeks further custody for questioning. Investigators also searched BJP leader Basavaraj Kannale’s residence while probing alleged OMR manipulation and recruitment irregularities

Bengaluru: Gyanendra Kumar, IAS officer, who was sent to one day of judicial custody in connection with the alleged Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) recruitment scam, will be produced before a court in Bengaluru on Monday. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is likely to seek 14 days of custody for further questioning.

Meanwhile, the CID has conducted a search at the residence of BJP leader Basavaraj Kannale in Donagapura village in Bhalki taluk of Bidar district in connection with the same KPSC recruitment scam.

---

Gyanendra Kumar, who served as Controller of Examinations of the KPSC, was arrested by the CID after being questioned for two days over alleged irregularities in the recruitment of veterinary officers. He was subsequently produced before the Bengaluru First Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) court, which remanded him to judicial custody for a day and directed the authorities to produce him before an open court on August 31.

The CID is probing allegations of manipulation of OMR answer sheets, irregularities in the evaluation process and the alleged involvement of officials and intermediaries in facilitating the recruitment of candidates. Investigators questioned Kumar extensively on August 28 and August 29, with the questioning reportedly continuing till late in the night.

Officials are examining alleged inconsistencies in his statements and evidence that purportedly points to his role in the manipulation of OMR sheets. The agency is also investigating allegations that selected candidates were provided training at hotels and resorts as part of the alleged recruitment process. The probe is expected to widen to former KPSC chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar, officials and other individuals associated with the commission.

Investigators have reportedly collected details of four recruitment examinations conducted over the past three years, including those for the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, Industries and Commerce Department and the veterinary officer recruitment examination.

Meanwhile, the CID has conducted a search at the residence of BJP leader Basavaraj Kannale in Donagapura village in Bhalki taluk of Bidar district in connection with the same KPSC recruitment scam. Kannale was arrested by CID in Delhi on Sunday. Investigators are reportedly probing his alleged role as a middleman in the recruitment process and his suspected involvement in helping candidates secure government jobs.

Kannale is a BJP leader from Bidar and is reportedly considered close to former Deputy Chief Minister and MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan. He is also reportedly seeking a BJP ticket to contest from the Bhalki Assembly constituency in Bidar district.

The CID search at his residence is part of the agency’s efforts to gather further evidence regarding the alleged recruitment network and the role of intermediaries. The alleged veterinary officer recruitment scam has also come under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has conducted searches at the residences of the former KPSC chairman, commission members and officials.

The ED had earlier searched Kumar’s residence. The officer was reportedly not present at the time as he had travelled to his home state of Uttar Pradesh. ED officials subsequently opened the house using a duplicate key and searched it.

The CID had also earlier searched the KPSC office as part of its investigation into allegations of question paper leaks, manipulation of marks and other irregularities in recruitment during Kumar’s tenure as Controller of Examinations.

With Kumar’s custody hearing scheduled for Monday and the arrest of an alleged intermediary, investigators are expected to intensify the probe into the possible involvement of officials, candidates and other individuals in the alleged KPSC recruitment irregularities.