BENGALURU: The investigation into the alleged Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) veterinary officers recruitment examination scam has uncovered a Rs 92 lakh financial trail involving candidates and alleged middlemen, besides evidence that 60 to 80 questions from the examination paper were allegedly leaked in advance.
The CID officials have questioned 40 candidates, of whom 29 have been named as accused in the FIR. Officials have also identified Rs 60 lakh in alleged cash payments by three candidates.
The investigation has resulted in the freezing of Rs 69.20 lakh in accounts into which candidates allegedly deposited money and another Rs 71.18 lakh in the accounts of alleged intermediary Basavaraj Kannale and his wife. Police also seized Rs 5.76 lakh in cash from Kannale.
A diamond-gold necklace worth Rs 22 lakh, allegedly purchased by former KPSC examination controller and IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar for Yashi Jaiswal, has also been seized.
The officials separately traced an alleged Rs 1.23 crore transfer to a jewellery shop in Commercial Street by Kamshetti and others, with the money allegedly used to purchase jewellery for Gangwar.
The police officers have identified three villas in a gated community near Devanahalli as locations where candidates allegedly received and practised leaked questions. Three vehicles were reportedly used to transport them to the villas and examination centres.
The probe found that questions were supplied through printed documents, with 60 to 80 questions allegedly disclosed from each paper. A printing press linked to the question paper was identified and its representative questioned.
Investigators also prepared a mahazar at a location where Gangwar allegedly destroyed a tablet used to photograph the questions and transfer them to a pen drive. The officials have also found WhatsApp communications among candidates, middlemen and Kannale.
Middleman Pawan allegedly connected five candidates with Kannale, while another candidate was linked through middleman Maruthi. Three other candidates were allegedly contacted directly by Kannale.
Kannale's car, allegedly used in the operation, was seized. His dairy farm in Bhalki and the premises of Om Lakshmi Souharda Cooperative Society were searched, with documents seized.
The residences of middlemen Pawan and Om Prakash were also searched. One OMR sheet and two mobile phones were recovered from Om Prakash's residence.
The CID officials have also identified an apartment in Devanahalli registered in the name of Kamalapati Gangwar, brother of Gyanendra Gangwar, and collected CCTV footage from the premises and from the vicinity of Gangwar's Jayamahal residence.
Gangwar was arrested on August 29, while Kannale was arrested on August 31. Both were subsequently produced before court and remanded to judicial custody.
Former KPSC chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar's residence was searched and he was served a notice. His anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the Karnataka High Court.
Look-out circulars have also been issued against several persons named in the investigation, including Sahukar, former KPSC member Shanta Hosamani, middleman Prem Kumar and Omkar Kamshetti.
The court has directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to provide copies of seized documents and materials following a request by the CID in connection with the investigation.
Meanwhile, officials are also analysing data recovered from seized mobile phones as the probe into the alleged question paper leak and financial transactions continues.