Karnataka HC Restricts Police From Filing KPSC Probe Reports Without Its Nod
The High Court of Karnataka on Friday directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Vidhana Soudha police to refrain from submitting final investigation reports in the alleged recruitment scams involving the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) to any jurisdictional court without seeking prior permission from the court.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna issued the interim order while hearing three separate petitions connected to the allegations of irregularities in the KPSC recruitment process. The court also recorded the CID's undertaking that it would not take any coercive action against candidates who were provisionally selected to the post of veterinary officer without the court's prior consent.
The first petition was filed by MLA Basanagouda R. Patil Yatnal and the All Karnataka State Students' Association, Bengaluru. They have sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group A and Group B gazetted probationers. The petition also includes allegations against the suspended KPSC chairperson, Shivashankar S. Sahukar.
The petitioners also requested the transfer of the First Information Report (FIR) registered against Suma S. Sahukar, the daughter of the suspended chairperson, to the CBI. The FIR claims she submitted a caste certificate with a 'false' family income while applying for the post of Industrial Extension Officer, a Group C position.
The second petition was filed by Manjunath, a veterinary officer aspirant, on whose complaint the Vidhana Soudha police registered an FIR alleging large-scale fraud in the recruitment process. Manjunath has sought the transfer of the investigation from the CID to the CBI.
The third petition was filed by Kiran Gowda B.S., a candidate whose name appears in the provisional selection list for the veterinary officer post. He has challenged the FIR registered against him based on Manjunath's complaint.
During the hearing, the court directed the CID and the police to file their statements of objections to the pleas seeking a transfer of the probes to the CBI. The court has adjourned further hearing on the petitions until August 20.
The KPSC is a constitutional body responsible for recruiting personnel to various state government departments. The alleged scams have raised serious questions about transparency and fairness in the selection process, prompting judicial scrutiny.
The interim order ensures that any final reports submitted by the investigating agencies are reviewed by the High Court before being placed before jurisdictional courts, adding a layer of judicial oversight to the ongoing investigation.
