The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Friday received the government order for an investigation into the alleged demand of bribe and malpractice in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC).
The allegations pertains to the interviews for 326 gazetted A and B posts conducted this year. A few candidates, not willing to pay the bribe, decided to unravel the happenings in the KPSC.
The FIR named eight people, including KPSC chairman Gonal Bhimappa.
The others named in the FIR were member Dr Mangala Sridhar, chairperson’s personal secretary Gangadharaiah and five others - Arunchalam, Ashok Kumar, Somanath, Sudhir and Rajashekhar.
The KPSC notified the examinations for these posts in November 2011. The prelims took place 2012 and the main examinations were held in December 2012 and January 2013. The results of the main examinations were declared in March 2013.
The allegations were similar to the ones found to be true in the previous CID inquiry, where the toppers received continues calls from personal assistant to the chairman demanding bribe. Those who refused to pay the bribe got unnaturally low marks in the interview.
The CID, which took up the investigations into the alleged scam that took place during 1995-96, 1996-97 and 2004-2005, submitted a detailed report to the state government with specific recommendations.
None of the recommendations have been implemented by the state government. This year, one of the whistleblowers Dr Mythri wrote to politicians and officials alleging that she was given low marks in the interview as she refused to pay the bribe of Rs 70 lakh to get Assistant Commissioner’s post.
The Vidhana Soudha police registered the FIR for alleged offenses under Section 7 of PC Act (for demand of bribe) and other sections under the Indian Penal Code. “The order has reached the CID office. The investigation has begun and the CID will submit the final report to the court,besides a report to the government,” a senior police official said on conditions of anonymity.
Bhimappa gets advance bail
The HC on Friday granted interim anticipatory bail to Bhimappa, former Chairman of the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), in connection with a criminal case over allegations of corruption in the process of selection to the posts of Gazetted Probationers Group A and B by the commission.
Hearing a bail petition, Justice Anand Byrareddy granted interim anticipatory bail to Bhimappa, who was KPSC chairperson from May 11, 2007 to May 10, 2013.
During the hearing, the counsel for Bhimappa, while seeking bail, said that his daughter’s wedding has been fixed on June 30 and there are chances of police arresting him in the case.