The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probing the irregularities in the recruitment of police sub-inspectors has summoned Congress MLA Priyank Kharge, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said on Monday, April 25. Kharge had recently released an audio recording of a conversation regarding the irregularities (in the PSI recruitment). The conversation purportedly between a middleman and a candidate was about the allotment of examination centres. In these specific centres, various malpractices would be allowed including allocating more marks than what the candidate has actually scored.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said in a statement, "The CID probing the irregularities in the PSI recruitment has issued a notice to Priyank Kharge to appear before it for questioning. I appeal to the MLA to display his responsibility and assist the CID, which is probing the case in the right direction, by sharing evidence with them.”
He added that Kharge should cooperate with the probe by sharing the documents with him and other information with the CID officials and he should at least assist in ensuring legal action against those involved in the irregularities. "As the impartial probe is on, there is no question of sparing anyone however influential that person is," Jnanendra warned.
The scam came to light in Kalaburagi district and Kharge is an MLA from the Chittapur assembly constituency in the same district. The Karnataka Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) examination was held in October 2021 for 545 police sub-inspector posts with 54,041 students appearing for it. A candidate named Viresh from Kalaburagi wrote the exam at the Jnana Jyothi English Medium school in the district. Viresh scored 121 marks though he only attempted some 20-odd questions. Viresh’s marks became a matter of public debate after a friend leaked them. This was because Viresh reportedly refused to pay touts and his friend, who had introduced him to the touts, came under pressure.
Divya Hagaragi, a BJP leader, runs the Jyan Jyothi Institution, where Viresh appeared for the examination. She is absconding while her husband Rajesh Hagaragi is in custody. The CID which is investigating the case believes that Divya asked invigilators to fill the OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) sheets in the last few minutes of the exam.
More than 10 people have been arrested, including Afzalpur Congress MLA MY Patil’s gunman. Kharge has maintained that if people from the Congress were involved in the scam, they should be punished too.
Hayyali Desai, another candidate who cleared the examination at the Gnan Jyothi institution in October 2021, was posted as the gunman of Afzalpur Congress MLA MY Patil. A Congress Block President Mahantesh Patil was arrested after he was accused of supplying Hayyali Desai with Bluetooth devices to cheat in the examination. Hayyali Desai was the topper in the examination for the Hyderabad Karnataka region.
Various reports say that students have scored high marks in objective questions and scored low marks in long-form answers. The CID is also investigating whether the scam was limited to this college in Kalaburagi.
More than 54,000 candidates wrote the exam for 545 posts. Police sources said the initial probe revealed that up to Rs 75 to 80 lakh was taken from the candidates as bribes.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA)'s executive director S Ramya filed a complaint that the examination conducted to hire assistant professors held in March 2022 was compromised. In her complaint, she alleged the questions in the Geography paper of the examination were leaked before the examination began on March 14. A student, Sowmya R from Mysuru, who was appearing in the exam, reportedly received 18 questions on her WhatsApp number hours before the examination began. She has been taken into custody.