A Bengaluru sessions court has sent former Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar and member B.V. Geetha to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the alleged recruitment scam involving 400 veterinary officer posts.
The Enforcement Directorate arrested the two on October 6 and questioned them for 13 days over suspected irregularities in the examination and recruitment process. Investigators produced them before the city sessions court on Monday after recording their statements, according to Prajavani.
The agency’s lawyers sought additional custody for further questioning. After hearing arguments from the Enforcement Directorate and the lawyers representing the accused, the court ordered that Sahukar and Geetha be placed in judicial custody. They were subsequently taken directly to Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.
During the proceedings, the judge asked the two accused whether Enforcement Directorate officers had subjected them to trouble or harassment during questioning. Both answered that they had not, according to the report.
The case concerns the KPSC examination and selection process for veterinary officer posts. The proceedings place the alleged irregularities within the wider accountability chain governing public recruitment: the examination authority, investigating agencies and the courts each have distinct roles in determining what happened and whether criminal liability is established.
The latest court order does not by itself establish guilt. The allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings. The immediate development is that the two former KPSC office-bearers will remain in judicial custody after the Enforcement Directorate completed the period of questioning authorised in the current stage of the case.
The Enforcement Directorate is also examining other individuals linked to the case. The agency may again take IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar and alleged intermediary Basavaraj Kannale into custody for questioning, the report said. The supplied report does not provide details of any fresh custody order against them.
The investigation follows allegations of examination malpractice in the recruitment of veterinary officers. Any findings from the agency’s questioning and further court proceedings will determine the next steps in the case, including whether additional custodial questioning is sought and how the alleged irregularities are established in court.
