Karnataka HC calls alleged KPSC veterinary officer recruitment scam ‘daylight fraud’, seeks SIT report

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday made strong observations while hearing a petition seeking a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commission’s Veterinary Officer recruitment. “If what is being alleged is true, then this is daylight fraud”, the Bench remarked, while posting the matter for further hearing next week.

The court has asked the state government to place on record the status of the internal inquiry so far. The petition was filed by a group of KPSC aspirants and a former KPSC member, alleging large-scale malpractice in the 2023-24 recruitment for more than 300 Veterinary Officer posts.

The petitioners alleged that question papers and answer keys were leaked on WhatsApp groups 48 hours before the exam. They also cited a viral video and audio clip in which unidentified persons were allegedly heard demanding Rs 80 lakh per candidate for a confirmed selection. Other allegations include mass copying and impersonation at select exam centres in Bengaluru, Kalaburagi and Mysuru, and irregularities in evaluation.

Serious allegations of corruption have surfaced in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) recruitment process for Veterinary Officer posts, with candidates demanding that the entire selection process be cancelled and the case handed over to the Central Bureau of… pic.twitter.com/ums5ZteYf0

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The petitioners claimed that candidates with very low marks in the written test were given unusually high marks in the interview and viva stage. They have sought quashing of the entire selection process and a CBI probe, arguing that the state SIT does not have the resources or independence to investigate influential people allegedly involved.

This is not the first time KPSC has faced controversy. Over the last five years, the commission has been hit by multiple scandals. In 2014, the FDA and SDA exam was cancelled and re-conducted after a printing press employee leaked papers.

In 2019, allegations of manipulation in OMR sheets during PDO recruitment led to court-monitored re-evaluation. The 2023 Gazetted Probationers Exam was delayed by 18 months due to litigation over the reservation roster and evaluation errors.

In 2024, the government increased KPSC members from 9 to 15, a move that drew criticism from opposition leaders who said more members meant more avenues for influence. They pointed out that Uttar Pradesh PSC, for a state four times Karnataka’s size, has only 8 members.

Critics also pointed to delays in recruitment. Over 2.5 lakh candidates are currently waiting for results and appointments across FDA, SDA, PDO and Group-B posts. Many files are pending due to vacant ministerial posts in departments.

During Tuesday’s hearing, the High Court questioned the state on why a preliminary inquiry by the Department of Personnel had taken four months with no FIR filed. The Advocate General, appearing for the state, said an SIT had been formed and that three KPSC officials had been suspended. He opposed a CBI probe, saying it would demoralise the state agency.

The petitioner’s counsel countered that with allegations reaching up to the chairman’s office, an independent agency was needed. He also cited the income affidavit of the KPSC Chairman, claiming it did not match the assets declared by his family members who allegedly got government jobs. The court did not order a CBI probe immediately, but said it would consider it if the state report was unsatisfactory.

The High Court has directed the state to submit a sealed-cover report on the SIT findings by August 6. It has also asked KPSC to freeze all appointment orders for Veterinary Officers till further orders.

Meanwhile, protests by KPSC aspirants have intensified in Bengaluru, with demands for a time-bound exam calendar and a UPSC-style KPSC with fixed tenure for members. For now, more than 300 selected Veterinary Officers remain in limbo, and thousands of aspirants are waiting to see if the court will order a full re-exam or a central probe. (ANI)