Karnataka PSI scam: Rs 85 lakh highest paid by candidate, says CID

BENGALURU: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is investigating the police sub inspector (PSI) recruitment scam, revealed that a total of Rs 3.11 crore has been recovered from the accused.

HU Raghuveer, a candidate, had paid the highest amount of Rs 85 lakh to PSI Naveen Prasad to secure a post, CID said. Prasad, in turn, gave the same to another accused PSI Shariff Kallimani, who then transferred it to Harsha, the main accused, who was posted in the recruitment wing. Raghuveer was then delivered a carbon copy of the OMR sheet and the pen used in the exam. Harsha then allegedly marked the right answers on the OMR sheet.  

The CID has also stated that the Forensic Science Laboratory report revealed that there was no tally between the OMR sheets and the carbon copy of the OMR sheets of 22 candidates, of the OMR sheets of 168 candidates seized.

This was disclosed by CID in an objection statement filed before K Lakshminarayana Bhat, 23rd Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge cum Special Judge (Prevention of Corruption Act). Meanwhile, the court on Friday had granted bail to 12 accused but rejected bail to an accused, Byadarahalli PSI Harish, who had allegedly collected Rs 30 lakh each from accused Madhu and Dileep Kumar, retained a cut of Rs 5 lakh before paying the rest to Harsha.

The court, while granting bail to 12 accused, had observed that chances of them fleeing from justice and tampering with the witnesses are remote and conclusion of the investigation and start of trial soon are unlikely, as the chargesheet comprises 20 volumes with more than 240 witnesses.

12 who were granted bail Somanath, HU Raghuveer, CM Narayana, CK Dileep Kumar, HR Praveen Kumar, GC Raghavendra, R Sharath Kumar, Jagrut, Mamtesh Gowda, R Madhu, Rachana Hanmanth and BN Keshavamurthy.