Karnataka IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar goes missing amid KPSC row; last traced to Bengaluru airport

Karnataka IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar has reportedly gone missing since August 20, with authorities unable to locate him, according to PTI. The Karnataka home minister, Priyank Kharge, confirmed receiving information about the matter but noted no formal missing complaint had been filed by Gangwar's family. Gangwar was last traced at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, with his mobile phone switched off.

Authorities are investigating his movements to determine if he traveled from Bengaluru to Delhi. Gangwar, a 2016-batch IAS officer, was serving as Director, MSME, in the Karnataka Department of Industries and Commerce before his disappearance. He had reportedly booked a flight to Delhi before becoming unreachable. The incident coincides with ongoing scrutiny of the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) amid allegations of corruption in recruitment examinations.

The KPSC chairperson, Shivashankarappa S Sahukar, is under investigation for corruption and nepotism, including allegations his daughter was selected for a government job using a false income certificate. Sahukar was suspended by the governor on July 13 but reinstated by the Karnataka High Court on August 18. The state government plans to advise the governor to suspend Sahukar and initiate an inquiry.

The Enforcement Directorate recently searched premises linked to the KPSC, Sahukar, and others as part of a money laundering probe into irregularities in a recruitment examination for veterinary officers.