KPSC member BV Geeta and suspended chairperson Shivashankarappa Sahukar
Bengaluru: A day after arresting and taking into custody former Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) chairperson Shivashankarappa Sahukar and member BV Geeta, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said search and seizure operations resulted in the seizure of blank signed cheques amounting to Rs 80 lakh along with blank signed promissory notes from one of the successful candidates. Sahukar and Geeta are in 14-day ED custody While Gyanendra Kumar and Kannale are in judicial custody at Bengaluru Central Prison. So far, ED has arrested four accused: suspended IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, his associate Basavaraj Kannale, Sahukar and Geeta.
The directorate said in a press release, “Further investigation revealed 10 successful candidates were taken to a resort-Airbnb villa on the outskirts of Bengaluru one day before the exam, where they were provided with a question paper containing the correct answer options for 80 questions and made to practise/memorise them. The question paper (marked with correct answers) containing the 80 questions was leaked by Gangwar, then controller of examinations, through Kannale to the 10 candidates. Kannale collected bribes of Rs 40-50 lakh from each candidate for facilitating their final selection in the veterinary officer recruitment exam.”