The Enforcement Directorate is examining 13 recruitment processes conducted during the tenure of a former Karnataka Public Service Commission examination controller as part of its investigation into alleged irregularities in the appointment of veterinary officers, according to a report by Prajavani.
The official under investigation is Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, who previously served as the examination controller of the Karnataka Public Service Commission. He is currently in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the case, the report said.
Investigators are now reviewing recruitment procedures conducted during Gangwar’s tenure, with sources cited by Prajavani saying the agency is following the trail across the 13 appointments. The report does not identify all the recruitment processes included in the review or indicate whether irregularities have been established in each of them.
The investigation is also linked to material found by the Criminal Investigation Department, which is separately probing the case. The CID reportedly found the names of candidates connected with the motor vehicle inspector recruitment process in a diary belonging to alleged intermediary Basavaraj Kannale.
According to the report, Enforcement Directorate officials are examining the same lead and are preparing to obtain relevant documents from the CID. The nature and extent of the documents sought were not specified in the supplied report.
The case began with an investigation into alleged wrongdoing in the recruitment of veterinary officers. The expansion to earlier Karnataka Public Service Commission recruitment processes means that the inquiry is now examining whether the alleged irregularities may have links beyond the original appointment process. However, the report does not state that the other 12 recruitment processes were compromised or that candidates named in the diary were involved in wrongdoing.
The development places the recruitment and examination systems of the state’s public-service commission under increased investigative scrutiny. The commission conducts selection processes for posts across government departments, making the integrity of its procedures important to candidates, departments and public institutions that depend on the appointments.
The Enforcement Directorate and the CID are conducting related investigations, but the supplied report does not provide details of any charges, arrests beyond the reported custody of the former examination controller, or findings against individual candidates. It also does not state whether the Karnataka Public Service Commission has issued a response to the expanded review.
The next reported step is the transfer or examination of relevant records from the CID by the Enforcement Directorate. Further details are expected to emerge as investigators review the 13 recruitment processes and the material connected with the motor vehicle inspector selection.