The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that four people, including former Karnataka Public Service Commission officials, operated a coordinated network to leak question papers and answer keys during the recruitment of veterinary officers, demanding up to ₹50 lakh from individual candidates.
The four people in the agency’s custody are identified as former KPSC chairman Shivashankar Sahukar, former member B.V. Geetha, examination controller Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar and intermediary Basavaraj Kannale. According to information attributed to the ED, the accused contacted candidates and offered access to an 80-question paper and its answer key in exchange for money.
The agency said Sahukar and Geetha demanded as much as ₹50 lakh from some candidates and agreed to deals worth ₹40 lakh. They allegedly obtained candidates’ roll numbers and the question-paper series expected to be assigned to them from Gangwar, who was responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the examination.
The ED alleged that Gangwar handed over the question-paper series and answer keys to Sahukar and Geetha with sufficient precision for them to provide the material to specific candidates during the examination. It said Sahukar received an advance of ₹10 lakh from one candidate for supplying an answer key, while Geetha allegedly received ₹20 lakh in advance from another.
Six candidates who obtained answer keys through the two former KPSC officials were found to have scored among the highest marks, according to the agency. The ED said it was collecting details of all candidates who were in contact with Sahukar and Geetha.
The agency also alleged that Gangwar and Kannale separately contacted candidates with offers to supply question papers. They reportedly demanded ₹80 lakh from each candidate and brought 10 candidates together at an Airbnb villa resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru, where question papers and answer keys were allegedly supplied. Kannale is accused of collecting between ₹40 lakh and ₹50 lakh from each candidate in that arrangement.
The alleged approach to candidates was based on a provisional selection list published in a 1:3 ratio, the ED said. Gangwar and Kannale allegedly contacted candidates on the list, promising to secure their appointments and demanding bribes ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh depending on the post.
The case has also moved into the judicial phase for several candidates. The Criminal Investigation Department, which is investigating the KPSC irregularities case, produced seven candidates before a court on Thursday for recording of their statements. Raj Mohammed, Siddharth, Basavaraj and Suhail were among those who appeared, and the court recorded their confession statements, according to the report.
The ED’s allegations and the statements recorded by the court place scrutiny on the safeguards governing confidential recruitment examinations, the use of provisional selection lists and the oversight of officials responsible for question-paper security. The investigation is continuing, with the agencies seeking information about additional candidates connected to the alleged network.
