Accused in PSI scam missing as CID visits house, case registered

According to the police, the CID officials visited RD Patil’s house in Akkamahadevi layout, under the Ashoknagara police station limits in Kalburgi city, to serve him an arrest warrant on Thursday night. However, Patil told the officers that he was innocent and officers were troubling him before fleeing from the backdoor of his house.

The alleged kingpin in the police sub-inspector (PSI) scam escaped from the backdoor of his house in Kalaburagi city when a team of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officials visited for enquiry on Thursday, the police said.

The alleged kingpin in the PSI scam escaped from the backdoor in Kalaburagi when a team of CID officials visited for enquiry (Agencies/Representative use)

According to the police, the CID officials visited RD Patil’s house in Akkamahadevi layout, under the Ashoknagara police station limits in Kalburgi city, to serve him an arrest warrant on Thursday night. However, Patil told the officers that he was innocent and officers were troubling him before fleeing from the backdoor of his house.

A team of CID officers also visited the houses of other accused, Patil’s brother Mahantesh, Jnanajyothi school owner Divya Hagaragi, school principal Kashinatha and Manjunatha and conducted an enquiry till late Thursday night.

The police on Friday registered a fresh case against Patil in the PSI examination scam after CID inspector Anand filed a complaint with Ashokanagara police.

According to the police, Patil violated the bail conditions by avoiding CID enquiry. According to the bail condition, the accused should be available for enquiry at all times and should not change the mobile number. However, when CID officers called his number, it was switched off, and he was not available at his house.

“Accused RD Patil was booked under IPC 353 (obstructing duty of official) and 224 (resistance for arrest) for obstructing to discharge of the duty of a government officer,” Kalburgi police commissioner R Chetan said. A case has been registered at Ashokanagara police station, and the police are investigating it, he added.

The PSI scam pertains to the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of sub-inspectors, which triggered a political storm in the state.

Till July 7, at least 65 people including additional director general of police Amrit Paul, deputy superintendents of police, inspectors, a few other police personnel, BJP leader Divya Hagaragi, who owned the Jnana Jyothi English Medium School in Kalaburagi and the gunman of a Congress MLA have been arrested. All the accused were released on bail. R D Patil also got bail and was released on December 18 from jail on the order of the high court.

On July 4 last year, the additional director general of police (ADGP), recruitment, Amrit Paul, was arrested. He is the highest-ranking police officer arrested in the case and is currently in judicial custody.

On April 29 last year, the Karnataka government handed over the case to the Criminal Investigation Department.