JD(S) challenges CM Shivakumar to hand over KPSC irregularities case to CBI

Bengaluru, Oct 21 (IANS) The Janata Dal (Secular) on Wednesday challenged Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to hand over the alleged irregularities and corruption in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), accusing the state government of attempting to divert attention from the issue.

In a statement posted on social media X, the JD(S) said the KPSC was an institution responsible for shaping the future of lakhs of poor students and alleged that the government was trying to cover up its failures and the alleged scam by portraying the Opposition’s criticism as a targeted campaign against former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra.

The party said Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy’s fight was aimed at protecting the future of young people and not pursuing the politics of division, as it alleged the Chief Minister was doing.

Questioning the state government’s stand on the issue, the JD(S) alleged that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been constituted following a High Court direction to investigate alleged large-scale corruption and irregular appointments in the KPSC. It further claimed that the government had approached the Supreme Court and obtained a stay to prevent the investigation, fearing that alleged commission dealings involving the Chief Minister and his ministers would be exposed.

“Chief Minister, do you have the courage to hand over the KPSC irregularities case to the CBI?” the party asked.

The JDS also invoked the Kannada proverb “Kallana manassu hulluhullage”, which implies that a guilty person is often apprehensive, and used it to target CM Shivakumar over the allegations.

The party further accused the Chief Minister of attempting to create differences within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) by raising the issue in connection with Yediyurappa and Vijayendra. It described his alleged attempts as an expression of desperation.

The allegations come amid a political confrontation between the ruling Congress and the Opposition over alleged irregularities in recruitment through the KPSC. The JD(S) statement reiterated the demand for a CBI probe into the matter.

The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) recruitment scam involves massive institutional corruption, cash-for-jobs rackets, and paper leaks orchestrated by senior officials and middlemen.

The scam exploded following the recruitment drive for 400 Veterinary Officer posts. Aspirants raised alarms when 29 candidates scored unusually high marks, including a relative of the then-KPSC chairman who had previously failed degree-level subjects. Investigations revealed that candidates paid bribes ranging between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 50 lakh, with initial demands up to Rs 80 lakh. A day before the exam, candidates were allegedly taken to high-end resorts and villas in Bengaluru, where they were given leaked question papers and answer keys to memorise.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) discovered that the manipulation wasn’t isolated. Officials systematically withheld candidate score details in provisional merit shortlists. They used this confidential data to induce fear among applicants, demanding bribes to secure or alter their ranks, and even tampered with OMR answer sheets. The ED suspects that at least 13 recruitment drives conducted between 2024 and 2026 have been compromised.

Shivashankarappa Sahukar, former KPSC Chairman, was arrested alongside member B.V. Geetha for facilitating the extortion syndicate. Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, the former Controller of Examinations, who allegedly masterminded the paper leaks by photographing confidential material, is also currently lodged in jail.

Basavaraj Kannale, a key middleman and BJP leader who collected the cash advances, layered the funds through third-party bank accounts, and funnelled money into gold and real estate, has also been arrested and jailed.

–IANS

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