Bengaluru, October 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that suspended Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) Chairman Sahukar Shivashankarappa, KPSC Member B.V. Geetha and IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar operated as an organised group in connection with the recruitment scam involving 400 Veterinary Officer posts.
The ED said its investigation has uncovered an alleged mechanism to generate proceeds of crime by manipulating the KPSC recruitment process, including the leakage of question papers, candidate-specific answer keys and misuse of the 1:3 merit list to demand money from candidates.
Shivashankarappa and Geetha were arrested by the ED on October 6 and are being questioned by the agency. IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar and BJP leader Basavaraj Kannale have been remanded to judicial custody.
The ED’s Bengaluru Zonal Office is investigating alleged irregularities in the Veterinary Officers’ Recruitment Examination conducted by KPSC for 400 posts. The probe is based on multiple FIRs registered at Vidhana Soudha Police Station under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
According to the ED, certain candidates were allegedly provided correct answer keys shortly before the examination on January 8, 2026, in exchange for bribes ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh per candidate.
The agency alleged that the leaked answer keys were provided to selected candidates by Shivashankarappa and Geetha in return for illegal gratification.
The ED further alleged that Geetha obtained access to the leaked answer keys from Gangwar, who was then serving as KPSC Controller of Examinations and was responsible for the custody and supervision of confidential examination material.
According to the agency, Gangwar allegedly used candidate seating arrangements and access to jumbled question papers and answer keys to provide Geetha with the correct answers to the first 80 questions.
The ED alleged that Geetha collected Rs 20 lakh in cash as an advance from one candidate against an agreed bribe of Rs 40 lakh. Similarly, Shivashankarappa allegedly collected Rs 10 lakh in cash from another candidate as an advance against an agreed amount of Rs 20 lakh.
The agency said six candidates who secured high scores in the final selection list have so far been identified, while further investigation is underway to establish the complete list of candidates who allegedly benefited from the arrangement.
Based on the evidence gathered during the investigation, the ED conducted searches under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at the premises of Shivashankarappa and Geetha on October 6.
The agency subsequently arrested both KPSC officials under Section 19 of the PMLA, alleging their involvement in generating, collecting and handling proceeds of crime arising from the scheduled criminal activity.
The investigation into the recruitment process and the alleged money trail is continuing.
FOLLOW NOW
