The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that senior Karnataka Public Service Commission officials and an intermediary operated a network to leak question papers and answer keys during the recruitment of veterinary officers, with candidates allegedly asked to pay up to ₹50 lakh. Four people are currently in ED custody, according to a report by Prajavani.
The agency identified the accused as former KPSC chairman Shivashankar Sahukar, member B.V. Geetha, examination controller Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar and intermediary Basavaraj Kannale. The allegations relate to the handling of the question paper and answer key for the veterinary officer recruitment examination.
According to the ED, Sahukar and Geetha allegedly contacted candidates and offered them access to an 80-question paper and its key. They initially demanded up to ₹50 lakh from some candidates and agreed to payments of ₹40 lakh, the agency said. The two allegedly obtained candidates’ roll numbers and the question-paper series assigned to them from Gangwar, who was responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the examination.
The ED further alleged that Gangwar handed over the question-paper series and answer keys that would be distributed to particular candidates during the examination. Sahukar allegedly accepted ₹10 lakh from one candidate for providing an answer key, while Geetha allegedly received an advance of ₹20 lakh from another candidate. The agency said six candidates who obtained answer keys through the two officials were among those who secured the highest marks in the examination.
The ED said it was collecting information about all candidates who had been in contact with Sahukar and Geetha. Gangwar and Kannale allegedly contacted candidates separately and offered to provide question papers. They demanded ₹80 lakh from each candidate, according to the agency.
The agency alleged that 10 candidates were brought together at an Airbnb villa resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru, where question papers and answer keys were provided. Kannale allegedly collected between ₹40 lakh and ₹50 lakh from each candidate. The agency said the accused used the temporary selection list, published in a 1:3 ratio, to identify candidates and approach them with offers of confirmed appointment.
The alleged bribe demands for securing appointments ranged from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh depending on the post, the ED said. The allegations raise questions about the protection of confidential examination material, the use of temporary selection lists and the safeguards governing recruitment to public posts in Karnataka.
Separately, the Criminal Investigation Department, which is investigating the KPSC irregularities case, produced seven candidates before a court on Thursday to record their statements. The candidates, including Raj Mohammed, Siddharth, Basavaraj and Suhail, gave statements that the court recorded. The investigation and the ED’s examination of the alleged candidate network are continuing.
