Suspended Karnataka PSC chief, son were in touch with middleman, candidates: CID

The suspended chairman of the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), Sahukar Shivashankarappa, who is being investigated for his alleged role in a scam in the recruitment of 400 veterinary officers, and his son were in frequent contact through encrypted internet calls with a middleman arrested for facilitating leaks of the exam paper, a CID inquiry has found.

The findings of the CID inquiry were presented in the Karnataka High Court on Monday by the public prosecutor during the hearing of an anticipatory bail plea filed by the suspended KPSC chairman. Shivashankarappa is suspected to have connived with the controller of exams at the KPSC, Gyanendra Kumar, an IAS officer, and an arrested middleman, Basavaraj Kannale, a BJP-linked businessman, to leak the KPSC exam papers to select candidates who had paid up to Rs 80 lakh to be selected as veterinarians, the investigation has found.

The CID investigation through the Internet Protocol Detail Records of internet calls involving the suspended chairman, the controller of exams, and the middleman showed them to be in frequent contact, especially on the days on which the entrance exams were conducted by the KPSC.

"He and his son were in touch with two candidates. The chairman and his family members were in touch with Basavaraj Kannale, the middleman who has been arrested," Public Prosecutor B N Jagadeesha told the court. The KPSC chairman "contacted some of the candidates who are part of this recruitment process and had extensive contact with Basavaraj Kannale, whom we have arrested.

This shows he is linked," Jagadeesha said. On the days of the exam, there were calls between the examination controller and the KPSC chairman through encrypted internet calls at 8.24 pm, 7.05 pm, and 6.47 pm, which raise suspicions and mandate further investigations, he said.

"It appears that not only has the petitioner used his office but he also allowed his son, daughters, and family members to use the KPSC office," he said. The court was also informed that "there was consistent and ongoing communication and contact" between Shivashankarrappa and Gyanendra Kumar "during the entire period when the Veterinary Officers examination was being conducted".

The court observed that many suspects, like former KPSC member Shanta Hosamani, were absconding and that the CID had issued lookout notices for them. ‘Candidates trained at resorts to answer leaked questions’ The CID inquiry has revealed that the candidates who received the leaked question papers were trained at resorts and hotels to answer the questions a day before the exams.

The middlemen then took them to the examination centres. The CID inquiry has found that the middlemen led by Kannale approached candidates and took payments in cash and bank transfers and that question papers were provided to the candidates in both handwritten and printed formats prior to the exams.

The CID has seized the bank accounts, the court was informed. "A link has been established between the exam controller Gyenendra Kumar and other accused, based on IPDR analysis before and after the veterinary exam," a source familiar with the investigation said.