The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is back on the ground in its probe into the alleged KPSC veterinary recruitment scam, with a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) remanding former KPSC Chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar and former KPSC member Dr B.V. Geetha to ED custody until October 19. This development marks a major step in a disturbing trend of corruption and malpractice in Karnataka's public recruitment.
The two accused were arrested by the ED officials on Tuesday for the second day after new evidence was found during the ongoing investigation. The arrests were made based on the confession of Suguresh Jaka, a relative of Shivashankarappa Sahukar and the statements of former examination controller Gnanendra Kumar. On Wednesday, ED officials took the two accused to the PMLA Special Court and asked for them to be held in custody.
The court, which heard arguments from both sides, granted ED custody of the accused until October 19. Special Public Prosecutor Madhu N. Rao, representing the ED, argued that a very long interrogation is necessary to find out the whole scam and know who is really involved. The ED asked for longer custody time based on the evidence it gathered.
The ED says the investigation has revealed a large-scale operation where question papers are sold to candidates aspiring to veterinary recruitment positions. The court has found that question papers were sold for amounts ranging from ₹40 lakh to ₹70 lakh. At the last moment, the investigators believe that a deal was made for ₹5 lakh.
But a few documents have been seized, and the agency also informed the court that they are incriminating. This includes blank cheques from candidates, promissory notes and signed documents that the ED believes could constitute evidence linking many people to the alleged conspiracy.
Vinutha is one of the main transactions. The investigators said that Mallappa, the father of Vinutha, had talked to Shivashankarappa Sahukar directly. The first demand was ₹50 lakh, but the amount was reduced to ₹20 lakh. Mallappa said that he paid ₹10 lakh to make the deal.
Another case includes candidate Nandish. Nandish's father Basavarajappa, according to the ED, was in contact with former KPSC member Dr B.V. Geetha and communicated with her through WhatsApp. The ED says this deal was discussed for ₹50 lakh. Evidence of the deal was initially around ₹50 lakh was discussed and finally completed for ₹40 lakh, with ₹20 lakh already transferred.
State officials said the accused had similar dealings with several other candidates. The court told the court that the accused abused their position in the KPSC to facilitate illegal transactions worth crores of rupees. Investigators found bank deposit receipts and other financial records in the KPSC office and at a particular site associated with Shivashankarappa Sahukar’s personal assistant, the ED stated. Dr Geetha had made deposits from accounts belonging to relatives to deposit cash linked to the scam.
To add more complexity to the investigation, the agency said that Dr Geetha had contacted examination controller Gnanendra Kumar to assist in influencing the final selection process for veterinary recruitment candidates. The allegation is expected to be at the heart of the investigation.
Now that both KPSC officials are in ED custody, investigators will look for financial transactions, communication records and recruitment documents to uncover the full scope of the alleged corruption network. The case has received a lot of attention in Karnataka as they investigate whether there were any mistakes in one of the state’s major recruitment examinations.
