The Karnataka High Court has appointed senior IPS officer R Hitendra as the new chief of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged irregularities in recruitment conducted by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC).
Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the order on November 2, replacing ADGP Alok Kumar as the SIT chief. The court also appointed ADGP Soumendu Mukherjee as a member of the team, replacing IPS officer Divya V Gopinath.
The other three members, Anup A Shetty, Kushal Chouksey and Kshama Mishra, will continue in the team. The reconstituted SIT will investigate two cases involving alleged irregularities in KPSC recruitment.
What Did the Karnataka High Court Say?
The court stressed that the investigation must be independent and free from outside influence. It said:
“The object of the constitution of the SIT is not merely to change the hands that hold the investigation but to ensure that the investigation itself is undertaken with renewed independence.”
The court also directed that officers who were involved in the earlier Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigation must not be included in the SIT or its supporting team.
The court said the SIT must ensure that its investigation is “insulated from the shadow of its predecessor”.
It also directed the state government to provide the team with the necessary staff, infrastructure, technical facilities and other resources to complete the investigation.
The SIT and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will conduct their investigations independently while coordinating with each other.
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What Is the KPSC Recruitment Case?
The case involves alleged irregularities in the recruitment of 400 veterinary officers through KPSC.
According to the investigation, some candidates allegedly paid bribes ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh to obtain examination questions and answers before the test.
The CID investigation led to the arrest of former KPSC controller of examinations and IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar on August 29. He was accused of leaking examination questions and answers to candidates through a middleman, Basavaraj Kannale.
The investigation also found that 11 candidates who ranked among the top 15 in the examination held on January 8 and 9 in Bengaluru had allegedly received access to the questions and answers.
In a separate case, the investigation concerns the alleged illegal selection of the daughter of suspended KPSC chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar for a government job.
How Did the Case Reach the High Court?
On September 21, the Karnataka High Court ordered the formation of a five-member SIT to investigate the alleged recruitment irregularities.
The state government challenged the order before the Supreme Court, which on October 13 upheld the formation of the SIT but directed it to continue the investigation from the stage where the CID had left it.
The Supreme Court also allowed the state government to suggest alternative officers for the SIT. Following this, the state government submitted four names to the High Court, which selected R Hitendra to lead the team.
The CID investigation had remained stalled since the High Court’s September 21 order. The SIT will now take forward the investigation into the alleged recruitment irregularities.