PSI recruitment scam: K’taka govt orders judicial probe, report to be submitted in 3 months

BENGALURU: The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the state has constituted a one-man judicial commission to inquire into the PSI recruitment scam wherein illegal direct recruitment of 545 police sub-inspectors (PSIs) were made.

A single-member commission, headed by former high court judge Justice B Veerappa has been constituted, and a report is to be submitted within three months. Justice Veerappa, retired on May 31 and had headed a bench that abolished the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), restoring the powers of the Lokayukta.

In an order instituting the Commission of Inquiry, the Home Department has asked Justice Veerappa to conclude the probe and submit a report to the government in three months. The Congress had strongly taken on the then BJP government over alleged irregularities and corruption in the recruitment of 545 PSIs. It was one of its major ammunitions against the BJP during the campaign for the Assembly polls.

The PSI recruitment scam broke out last year when the then BJP government ordered a CID probe following allegations that the exam results were manipulated. After the results were out, there were allegations of cheating, and corrupt practices in the said examination, due to which the government ordered an investigation into the matter.

The Karnataka Police Recruitment Cell conducted an examination for filling up 545 vacancies of Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) in the Karnataka Police Department in the year 2021.

Based on the probe, various FIRs were registered against candidates, middlemen and police officials involved in the irregularities observed in the PSI Recruitment Examination, 2021, in Bengaluru and Kalaburagi which were later transferred to CID for investigation.

The CID, Bengaluru had conducted searches at various premises and has arrested ADGP Amrit Paul and around 100 other persons in this case. During the CID investigation, it was observed that there was tampering with the OMR sheet in the strong room of the Recruitment Cell at CID headquarters Carlton House, Bengaluru.

Police officers in charge of the strong room of the recruitment cell had switched off the CCTV camera at the strong room, two armed head constables entered the strong room and tampered with the OMR sheet. Further, police officials collected money from candidates to facilitate their selection using illegal means.

Based on the FIRs, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) on August 4 this year for the alleged money laundering offence.

So far, 110 people have been arrested in connection with the scam, including 52 candidates who wrote the exam. These 52 candidates have been barred from participating in any police recruitment. (ANI)