IAS officer suspended in Karnataka over alleged KPSC recruitment irregularities
The Karnataka government has suspended IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, who was arrested in connection with the alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) for recruiting veterinary officers.
Mr. Gangwar served as the Controller of Examination in the KPSC from February 2024 to March 2026 before being appointed as Director, MSME. He is the first accused to be arrested in the case and is presently in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the matter. The suspension comes as the CID investigates claims of malpractices in the selection process.
In a related development, the CID is likely to summon the suspended KPSC Chairman, Shivashakarappa S. Sahukar, for a second time in connection with the alleged recruitment scam. Mr. Sahukar has approached the High Court seeking anticipatory bail, citing apprehension of arrest in the case. The CID is expected to issue him another notice to appear for questioning despite the legal move.
As part of the probe, CID officials conducted a mahazar – a legal record of search proceedings – at the residence of an alleged middleman, Basavaraj Kannale, in Sanjay Nagar, Bengaluru. During the operation, they examined documents and other materials believed to be relevant to the case. Earlier, officials had searched Mr. Kannale's residence in his hometown and seized documents allegedly connected with the scam.
The CID is also tracing suspected financial transactions and the money trail linked to the case. Investigators recently conducted a mahazar at a cooperative society in Bhalki, where they examined records related to monetary dealings and transactions routed through multiple bank accounts allegedly linked to the accused.
Officials are now scrutinising the financial records, documents and transaction details gathered during these searches. The goal is to determine the flow of money and establish links between the accused persons and the alleged irregularities in the recruitment process. The exact scope of the irregularities is yet to be established, and the investigation remains ongoing.
