Bengaluru, 18 August
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Tuesday searched 21 premises across Karnataka and Gujarat as part of a money-laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Veterinary Officers by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC).
The searches covered the KPSC headquarters in Bengaluru and premises linked to suspended commission Chairperson Shivashankarappa S. Sahukar, KPSC member Shanta Hosmani, selected candidates and suspected middlemen involved in the recruitment process.
The agency also searched the Ahmedabad office of Edutest Solutions Private Limited, which was entrusted with the digital evaluation of examination papers. The operation was conducted in Bengaluru, Hassan, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Raichur, Karwar, Kalaburagi and Belagavi in Karnataka, besides Ahmedabad in Gujarat.
The ED initiated its investigation on the basis of four First Information Reports registered at the Vidhana Soudha Police Station in Bengaluru. The cases relate to allegations that the final selection list for Veterinary Officers was manipulated. The Karnataka government had later handed over the criminal investigation to the Criminal Investigation Department.
According to the complaints, suspected intermediaries approached candidates and allegedly demanded between Rs 70 lakh and Rs 80 lakh from each applicant in exchange for ensuring their selection. One of the complainants is also reported to have submitted audio recordings of conversations with the alleged middlemen.
The investigation is examining multiple allegations, including the leakage of question papers, tampering with optical mark recognition answer sheets and manipulation of the digital evaluation process. The alleged recruitment of relatives of KPSC officials through fraudulent means is also under scrutiny.
ED officials are seeking to identify the suspected proceeds of crime and trace financial transactions connected to the recruitment racket. The searches were conducted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which authorises the agency to search premises and seize documents and other material relevant to an investigation.
