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Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on Tuesday, August 18, raided the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) office and premises linked to those accused of irregularities in the recruitment of Veterinary Officers.
According to reports, the searches were conducted at 21 premises across Karnataka and Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The locations include the KPSC office in Bengaluru, the residence of suspended KPSC Chairperson Shivashankarappa S Sahukar, KPSC member Shanta Hosmani, alleged middlemen, selected candidates and the premises of Edutest Solutions Private Limited, the agency responsible for the digital evaluation of examination papers.
The searches are being conducted in Bengaluru, Hassan, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Raichur, Karwar, Kalaburagi and Belagavi in Karnataka, besides Ahmedabad.
This comes after four FIRs registered at the Vidhana Soudha Police Station in Bengaluru over alleged irregularities in the final selection process for Veterinary Officers. The investigation into the cases was subsequently handed over to the Karnataka CID.
According to the complaints, alleged middlemen approached candidates, including the complainant, and demanded between Rs 70 lakh and Rs 80 lakh from each candidate in exchange for ensuring their selection. The complainant is reported to have submitted audio recordings of conversations with the alleged middlemen to investigators.
The allegations being investigated include question paper leakage, tampering with OMR answer sheets, manipulation of the evaluation process and facilitating the selection of relatives of KPSC officials.
The ED is investigating the alleged money trail and financial transactions linked to the recruitment irregularities under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
Shivashankarappa Sahukar was suspended by Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot in July following allegations that he facilitated the selection of his two daughters as Industrial Extension Officers and failed to disclose a conflict of interest. The Governor also recommended that the allegations against Sahukar be referred to the Supreme Court for an inquiry under Article 317(1), which deals with the removal and suspension of members of a State Public Service Commission.
Sahukar’s daughter Suma S Sahukar was accused of claiming Category 3B reservation using an income certificate that declared her family’s annual income at Rs 40,000. Sahukar was drawing a monthly salary of over Rs 2 lakh at the time. The Karnataka High Court, hearing Suma’s plea to quash the criminal case, questioned how such a declaration was made and observed that a genuine candidate could have lost an opportunity because of it. Suma later received anticipatory bail, while the case continues.
