The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe into the Police Sub-Inspectors (PSI) recruitment scam is expanding. What started as malpractices that came to light in three centres in Afzalpur, Kalaburagi district, has now spread out as suspected malpractices have been unearthed in seven centres in Bengaluru. A total of 20 of the 545 selected candidates have been arrested so far and more named in FIRs.
“Answer sheets of all 545 candidates have been forensically scrutinised and all candidates questioned, based on which over 30 suspected to have indulged in malpractices have been shortlisted and inquiry is on,” a senior CID official said. Though the probe is identifying candidates and examination centres that have indulged in malpractices, the probe is yet to uncover the money trail of the bribes candidates paid and the involvement of any senior officials of the police recruitment cell.
The State Government’s decision to annul the provisional selection list and order re-exams has met with stiff opposition from the selected candidates, harking back to opposition from the selected candidates when the 2011 batch KPSC Gazetted Probationer Officers’ list was similarly cancelled over allegations of corruption.
“The State Government’s blanket decision to annul the list has not only hit us hard, but also paints all of us with the same brush. Inquire all the 545 candidates who have been selected including me, and either arrest me if I have indulged in malpractices or give me my appointment order,” said one of the candidates, sitting in protest at Freedom Park, who did not wish to be named.
Another candidate, Anil Kumar, pointed out that the ruling BJP Government had recently brought in a law restoring the 2011 KPSC list that Siddaramaiah Government had withdrawn notification for, a decision upheld by both the Karnataka High Court and the Supreme Court. “When they have restored the 2011 KPSC list, how can they now annul the PSI selection list?,” he questioned. Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, who cancelled the KPSC 2011 list, has supported cancellation of the PSI selection list as well, while H.D. Kumaraswamy has opposed cancellation of both selection lists.
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs J.C. Madhuswamy told The Hindu that the 2011 KPSC list and the PSI provisional selection list were not comparable. “The question in the 2011 KPSC list cancellation was whether the Government had the powers to cancel the list by a statutory body like KPSC, without discussing it in the Assembly. The powers of the Assembly were curtailed. So we brought in a law restoring the list. Moreover, there were no FIRs, arrests in the case of KPSC 2011 list, which is not the case with the PSI selection list. PSI selections were done by the State Government and not KPSC,” he said.
Minister’s brother questioned?
Speculations were rife on Monday that the CID has questioned and recorded the statement of the brother of a State Minister in connection with the PSI recruitment scam. However, senior CID officials denied this.
The Congress had alleged the involvement of Satish, brother of Higher Education Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan, to help candidate Darshan Gowda get selected. Darshan Gowda is one of the candidates suspected to have indulged in malpractices during the CID probe. Dr. Narayan has denied these allegations terming them “baseless”.
