BENGALURU: The statement of a candidate selected for the post of veterinary officer to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) led the police to uncover the alleged involvement of suspended IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar (41) in the alleged scam over the recruitment of 400 veterinary officers by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC).
The candidate, Mohammed Suhail Bandengol (30) -- a senior police officer who was selected though the exam, told the police that in December 2025, an unidentified person called him on WhatsApp and assured him of selection in the KPSC exam if he paid Rs 40 lakh.
Suhail told the police that he agreed to the deal and paid Rs 20 lakh as advance, while the remaining Rs 20 lakh was to be paid after the announcement of the selection list.
He said that technical verification, including an analysis of call detail records (CDRs), helped the police establish the identity of the unidentified person as Basavaraj Kannale, the alleged middleman in the case. The investigation also revealed that Kannale was in constant touch with Gangwar. But Gangwar has denied any contact with Kannale.
After evidence established contact between Kannale and Gangwar, the police took Gangwar into custody for further questioning, the officer said.
Gangwar, a 2016-batch Karnataka-cadre IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh, was suspended by the state government over his alleged involvement in corruption and irregularities. He served as the Controller of Examinations at the KPSC from 2024 to March 2026.