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Court sends ADGP Paul to 14-day judicial custody in PSI recruitment case
ADGP Paul, who was arrested in connection with the case on July 11, was presented before the additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACMM)court on Friday after the custody granted to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) came to an end. The court posted the hearing of the bail application filed by Paul’s lawyer for Saturday.
A court in Bengaluru sent additional director general of police (ADGP) Amrit Paul to 14 days of judicial custody in the police sub-inspector (PSI) recruitment case on Friday.
The senior IPS officer, who was arrested in connection with the case on July 11, was presented before the additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACMM)court on Friday after the custody granted to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) came to an end. The court posted the hearing of the bail application filed by Paul’s lawyer for Saturday.
Karnataka police on Friday sought permission of a court here to conduct narco-analysis test in connection with the PSI recruitment scam.
Paul is the first ADGP — the second-highest rank in the police hierarchy — to be arrested in connection with a corruption case in the state. Heading the police recruitment cell in Karnataka, CID arrested Paul on Monday after his name cropped up in the ongoing investigation into the PSI case, where money was taken from candidates to enable them to cheat during their examinations or for tampering their answers sheets after the exam.
Paul was arrested under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 and 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 461 (dishonestly breaking open receptacle containing property), 471(using as genuine a forged 1) and 120 B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He has been placed under suspension under the All-India Services (Discipline & Appeals) Rule, 1969 since Monday.
While contesting Paul’s bail plea on Thursday, the prosecution, on behalf of the CID, informed the court that former DySP Shanta Kumar, who has also been arrested in the case, had handed over ₹1.3 crore that he had allegedly collected from some PSI aspirants to a few individuals on Paul’s instructions. The prosecution said police needed Paul’s custody to recover that money.
The prosecution also said that Paul had deleted some data and formatted his phone. According to the prosecution, forensic officials will retrieve the data, including messages he had exchanged with suspects in the case. CID officials needed to get Paul’s clarification on such messages and other data if found, the prosecution argued. Based on these data, Paul was called for interrogation on Thursday.
According to CID officials, the key aspect of the probe against Paul is deputy superintendent of police (DySP) Shanta Kumar, who made a statement before a magistrate. Kumar had a long tenure at the recruitment cell over the past 12 years, with brief interludes during which he was transferred out. However, he used to return to the cell, where he joined as an inspector and was promoted to a DSP, according to a senior police officer.
CID officials said that during the investigation, Paul denied receiving money related to the case.
On Thursday, the Karnataka high court questioned the state government whether lower rung officers could boldly investigate the ADGP in the case. Justice H P Sandesh posed the query during the hearing of bail petitions of some of the accused in the case.
In his response, the government advocate said the DGP of the CID was personally overseeing the inquiry. “This is nothing but a case of the fence eating the crop,” the court said and questioned why the ADGP was not yet been produced before the court to record his statement even after 10 days of arrest.
Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah on Friday demanded a narco test of Paul and alleged that many ministers and close associates were involved in the scam. ”If Amrit Paul, ADGP of the recruitment department, who was arrested by the CID officials in the PSI recruitment illegality, is subjected to the Narco test, then it will be clear who all the politicians are involved. There are suspicions that many ministers and their close associates are involved in the PSI recruitment scam,” said the former chief minister.
He also highlighted that a comprehensive investigation should be conducted into Paul’s diary.
“Clear information about this should come out, which means that important officials should be tested through Narco. A comprehensive investigation should also be conducted into the diary written by Amrit Paul. There should be no attempt to cover up this case for any reason,” he added.
On July 5, Siddaramaiah demanded the resignation of state home minister Araga Jnanendra after alleging that Jnanendra is responsible for this scam and urged chief minister Basavaraj Bommai to sack him from the cabinet.
