Karnataka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Saturday laid hands on Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar in connection with alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) exam conducted for the recruitment of 400 veterinary officers, according to officials. 

Gagwar, who was the former examination controller of the KPSC, was taken into custody late Saturday night after several hours of interrogation as part of the prone into alleged question paper leakage, manipulation of Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets and tampering with marks secured by the candidates in the examination.

Gangwar held after 9-hour interrogation

The investigators reportedly found inconsistencies in Gangwar’s statements and felt he was not cooperating with the probe. He shall be produced before a magistrate on Sunday, officials in the know of the development said. 

Notably, the officials questioned him for nine hours on Friday, and the interrogation continued on Saturday. The investigators are examining his alleged role in the examination process, including the question papers’ handling, evaluation procedures and the alleged manipulation of the OMR answer sheets. 

According to the First Information Report (FIR), it has been alleged that Gangwar received Rs 1.1 crore from two candidates in lieu of tampering with their OMR sheets. Relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 10 of the Karnataka Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Corruption & Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act have been invoked against him. 

Notably, the state CID was handed over the probe on July 28 after two cases were registered against Gangwar at the Vidhana Soudha Police Station. Veterinarian Manjunath filed the complaint against Gangwar and KPSC’s former chairman Shivashankarappa S Sahukara as well as others. 

Questions raised over examination process in complaint

Manjunath alleged that kin of the former KPSC chairman, along with KPSC members and staffers, secured unusually high marks in the January 8 and 9 examination despite possessing average academic records. 

He further claimed that some candidates who had cleared national-level competitive examinations fared poorly in the KPSC recruitment test. The complaint also alleged that some shortlisted candidates switched off their cell phones before or during the examination days and stayed at hotels or resorts outside Karnataka, where intermediaries allegedly passed on the question paper to them. 

Questions were also raised over the authenticity of the OMR answer sheets. Manjunath alleged that candidates who had left several questions unanswered nevertheless ended up securing high marks, while intermediaries allegedly offered to manipulate OMR sheets for up to Rs 80 lakh. 

ED conducting parallel probe

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is separately examining the alleged recruitment irregularities. On August 23, the agency raided Gagwar’s residence in Jayamahal Extension area of Bengaluru. 

Officials said Gangwar was in Uttar Pradesh at the time of the raid and alleged that officials accessed the residence by means of a duplicate day. Gangwar had also made headlines earlier this month after remaining incommunicado for two days from August 20. He then informed the government that he had travelled to his hometown owing to a family emergency. 

Later, Home Minister of the state, Priyank Kharge said that no IAS officer had gone missing.