Karnataka challenges high court order for SIT probe into KPSC job 'scams'

Karnataka's government has challenged a Supreme Court order to conduct an SIT probe into two tainted recruitment tests carried out by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), according to reports. The court had ordered the SIT on September 21 following allegations of corruption in the recruitment of 50 industrial extension officers and 400 veterinary officers.

The daughter of the KPSC chairman was among those selected in the June 10 results, sparking outrage and prompting the governor to suspend the KPSC chairman. Allegations emerged that bribes as high as Rs 80 lakh were demanded by middlemen to give candidates the correct answers and to tamper with OMR sheets. A senior advocate representing the DK Shivakumar government argued that a new SIT probe could invalidate crucial evidence already gathered by the state CID, including original OMR sheets, seized digital devices, frozen bank accounts, and the arrest of suspects.

The government sought a stay on the HC order and insisted that investigations should continue under the supervision of the Crime Investigation Department (CID). Key figures, including former KPSC controller of examinations IAS Gyanendra Kumar and middleman Basavaraj Kannale, have already been arrested. The state also questioned the high court for directly selecting police officers for the SIT without seeking their input.