Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made several sensational revelations in its probe into alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commission’s (KPSC) Veterinary Officer recruitment examination involving IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar and BJP leader Basavaraj Kannale, alleging that candidates were given leaked question papers with correct answers and taken to a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru to memorise them ahead of the test.
The official statement released on Wednesday by the ED said its investigation into the examination conducted for the recruitment of 400 Veterinary Officers revealed that accused IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar and BJP leader Basavaraj Kannale, allegedly in connivance with his associates, facilitated the illegal selection of candidates in return for illegal gratification.
The ED further alleged that Gangwar, while serving as KPSC Controller of Examinations, misused his official position and facilitated the leakage of the Veterinary Officer recruitment examination question paper containing the correct answers to Kannale a day before the scheduled examination, in consideration of illegal gratification.
According to the agency, Kannale obtained access to the leaked question paper through his close association with Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, IAS, the then Controller of Examinations at KPSC, who was entrusted with the custody and supervision of confidential examination material.
The ED alleged that Kannale subsequently identified and approached multiple candidates, promising to facilitate their selection in the examination. The investigation revealed that around Rs 80 lakh was initially demanded from each candidate, which was later negotiated to between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 40 lakh per candidate.
The agency said portions of the agreed amount were collected in advance through cash and banking channels. To secure the balance amount, some candidates were allegedly made to furnish blank cheques and promissory notes, some of which were subsequently recovered and seized during searches.
The investigation also revealed that the bank account of Om Lakshmi Sowkar Sahakari Sangha Niyamitha, Bidar, was allegedly used to receive amounts connected with the illegal gratification, the ED said.
In another major revelation, the ED alleged that selected candidates were taken to a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru, where they were provided with the leaked question paper containing the correct answers. The candidates were allegedly made to memorise the answers under the supervision of Kannale and his associates.
On the day of the examination, the candidates were allegedly transported to their respective examination centres in vehicles arranged by Kannale’s associates, the agency said.
Based on the material gathered during the investigation and the reasons to believe recorded under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, the ED arrested Kannale on September 17. He was subsequently produced before the Special Court for PMLA cases (CCH-4), which granted 14 days’ custody to the ED on September 29.
Gangwar was formally arrested by the ED on September 18 for his alleged role in facilitating the generation of proceeds of crime arising from the scheduled criminal activity. He was produced before the Special Court on September 21, and the court granted 14 days’ custody to the ED for further investigation.
The ED said analysis of material seized during searches conducted between September 18 and September 24 showed that the proceeds generated from the alleged criminal activity were subsequently layered and utilised through various means, including bank transfers, purchase of gold jewellery, cash payments for travel and other cash transactions, allegedly with the intention of concealing the nature and source of the proceeds and projecting them as untainted property.
Further investigation is under progress, the ED said.
(IANS)
