ED officials arrested Shivashankarappa S Sahukar (L) and BV Geeta (R) in connection with a job for cash investigation
Also, investigations revealed that Sahukar had called Gangwar twice on the night of January 7, while exams were held next day. He was appointed as a member of the KPSC in September 2019. In April 2021, he was elevated to the position of KPSC chairman by governor Vajubhai Vala on the recommendation of the state government , succeeding Shadakshari Swamy.
Earlier to this, ED had taken statements from different candidates including one Suguresh, a close relative of Sahukar and who had scored high marks, which according to the FIR, was abnormal. Sahukar was detained based on Suguresh’s confession statements, sources said. Also, the ED officials arrested KPSC member BV Geeta at the same time. Both were taken to the official residence of a local court Judge in National Games village, Koramanagala, requesting for police custody. Following the interaction, Sahukar was detained by evening and arrested later. Another team of ED officials had picked Geeta in the morning for questioning from her flat in an apartment in Dollars colony, Sajnjaynagar. It is alleged that Gangwar had shared the question paper and an answer script with Suguresh. Later, Suguresh allegedly shared the same with Geeta. Sahukar hails from Hemanala village in the Devadurga taluk of Raichur district and holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering.
BENGALURU: Sleuths from Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing into the alleged job for cash at Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) on Tuesday arrested its former chairperson-Shivashankarappa S Sahukar after raiding his Dollars colony residence in Sanjaynagar.
Reservation and Fake Income Certificate Fraud Case Allegation: Sahukar came under heavy scrutiny over allegations that his daughter submitted a fraudulent income certificate declaring an annual family income of Rs 40,000 to avail reservation under Category 3B for government posts (such as Industrial Extension Officer). CID Investigation : He faces investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) regarding large-scale irregularities, paper leaks, and cash-for-jobs scams in various recruitment exams, notably involving the recruitment of 400 veterinary officers and other gazetted officer positions. Money Laundering Probe: Alongside state-level criminal investigations, the ED launched money laundering investigations into the financial trail and illicit assets tied to recruitment scams, leading to raids on his residence. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bengaluru | Silver Rate in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Petrol Price in Bengaluru | Diesel Price in Bengaluru | CNG Price in Bengaluru | LPG Price in Bengaluru Stay updated with the latest Bengaluru news.
The Karnataka high court sharply criticized the declaration as “fraud” and an “eyewash,” noting that Sahukar was drawing a substantial official salary as KPSC chairman. Just last week, ED had finished questioning suspended IAS officer and former KPSC controller of examinations- Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar after taking the impriosned bureaucrat into their custody. The court emphasized that using false income declarations deprives genuine, underprivileged candidates of quota benefits. Executive Action: Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot suspended him from office following cabinet recommendations and government rules prohibiting children of KPSC Chairpersons from claiming backward-class quota benefits. Bribery Claims: Investigations alleged illegal transactions, middleman involvement, and paper-leaking networks demanding bribes for candidate selections. His anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the High Court after CID presented evidence linking him and key associates to middlemen. ED sleuths had couple of times raided Sahukar’s house in Dollars colony in this August. Download the TOI App.
Another accused in the case, Basavaraj Kannale, a self styled political activist, was also questioned by the ED. Both Gangwar and Kannale are lodged in the judicial custody of Bengaluru central prison. Their bail pleas are turned down by the courts.
On Tuesday morning, a posse of ED officials reached Sahukar’s house and took a detailed statement from Sahukar.