K’taka: Political slugfest over PSI recruitment scam rages on

Two days after Congress legislator and former minister Priyank Kharge alleged scam in the recruitment of 545 police sub-inspectors (PSI) and released an audio clip in support of his claims, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) issued a notice to him on Monday

Two days after Congress legislator and former minister Priyank Kharge alleged scam in the recruitment of 545 police sub-inspectors (PSI) and released an audio clip in support of his claims, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) issued a notice to him on Monday. The CID has asked Kharge to appear before them and share the information or documents he has, to prove his allegations.

The investigation started after the answer sheet of one of the candidates was leaked, and showed discrepancies. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

The audio clip released by Kharge on Saturday was of an alleged conversation between a candidate who appeared for the PSI recruitment and a middlemen. Kharge had said that the middleman featured in the clip had said that ‘everyone is involved’.

Responding to the CID notice, Kharge said that the government is diverting attention from the real issue. “It is hilarious that CID has asked me to furnish “information” on the #PSI545scam.. Shows the Department’s incompetence in comprehending the evidence available in the public domain. These intimidating tactics won’t work. Govt needs to answer 57,000 youths who have taken the PSI exam (sic).” Kharge tweeted.

Later talking to the media, he said, that a BJP MLA has said that the Congress leaders should investigate, but they are silent on BJP’s involvement in the case.

“A BJP MP has given a recommendation letter to make one of the BJP’s workers educational institute, where malpractice took, an examination centre. Why is there no investigation into it?” he asked.

While the political slugfest is underway, police have arrested 13 people in the case, including the alleged prime suspect in the case. The CID on Saturday arrested Rudragowda Patil in the case.

Two senior IPS officers aware of the case said that the investigation into the scam is looking at two aspects – forging answer sheets at examination centres and use of bluetooth devices for cheating. The investigation started after the answer sheet of one of the candidates was leaked, and showed discrepancies.

In January this year, two police officers, from Mysuru and Kalburgi had written to the state police chief Praveen Sood demanding a revaluation in the PSI recruitment examinations. Recruitment examination for 545 posts of police sub-inspectors was held in October 2021. 57,041 appeared for this examination at different centres. When the results of the examination came out in January, some aspirants claimed there were irregularities.

The allegation was regarding a contrast in the answer sheets of some candidates who topped the examination. The PSI examination has two papers, one optical mark recognition (OMR) sheet with objective questions and the second is a written examination. Some candidates, who scored less than 20 marks in the written had scored close to 100 in objective questions, which were questioned by some candidates.

Even though the matter was brought before DG&IGP Sood, the department refuted the claims and no investigation was ordered. Later, when the Opposition raised the matter in the assembly, Karnataka home minister Araga Jnanendra claimed there was no proof of any malpractice.

Upset with the government’s decision, some candidates applied for a copy of the marks sheets under Right to Information (RTI). Even though the request under RTI was turned down, the answer sheet of one of the candidates was leaked.

“The leaked answer sheet belonged to one Viresh. He had scored 121 marks in the examination, but in his answer sheet, he had attempted questions for only 30 marks in the written section. Viresh’s answer sheet became the proof that was needed for the case to begin. Even though the attempts to get the answer sheet through RTI had failed, it was Viresh’s fall out with a tout and a friend who took him to the tout, that resulted in the leak. When Viresh refused to pay, his friend leaked the paper,” said an officer familiar with the investigation.

Following the incident, the home minister ordered a CID probe. “The conspirators had planned to rig the examination centres. They ensured the Optical mark recognition (OMR) sheets of candidates, who paid money, were collected after the examination, which were then filled out by conspirators. They asked the students to write whatever they can and the higher score in OMR sheets will make up for the shortfall in written examination,” said the officer.

The officer pointed out that a student who received just 21 marks in the written examination, got 98 marks in objective questions.

The CID is yet to put a figure on the money involved in the scam as more information in the case is being collected. However, an officer said that in most of the cases ₹7-10 lakh were collected from each candidate.

The arrest of a candidate and a tout led the police to Divya Hagaragi, a BJP leader, who runs the Gyan Jyothi Institution, where Viresh appeared for the examination. At her educational institution, CCTV cameras were turned off during the examination and it was claimed that they were malfunctioning. During this time, police said, Hagaragi’s associates filed OMR sheets on behalf of the candidates. She is absconding while her husband Rajesh Hagaragi is in custody.

Among the 13 people arrested are Hayyali Desai who was posted as the gunman of Afzalpur Congress MLA MY Patil. Desai’s arrest led the police to Congress block president Mahantesh Patil, who had allegedly given Desai the bluetooth device to cheat.

“The investigation has just begun. There will be more arrests. At present we are trying to get information on how many more are involved in the scam and if any other methods were used for cheating,” said the CID officer.

Meanwhile, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has promised a detailed probe into the audio recording released by Kharge. “I have personally not heard the audio clip. But I assure you that all aspects and angles of the PSI scam will be probed and whoever is involved will be severely punished based on the investigation,” Bommai said.