PSI recruitment scam: Priyank Kharge replies to CID notice, says it is targeting political opponents

KALABURAGI: Former minister and KPCC spokesperson Priyank Kharge on Thursday replied to the notice issued to him by the CID probing the PSI recruitment scam. In his six-page reply, Priyank said, “The issuance of aforesaid notice under Sections 91 and 160 of CrPc is concerned, it is rather strange that the CID has taken the recourse to such a mechanism.”

He said the current dispensation wants to scuttle and stifle free speech and, in the process, destroy the democratic fabric by issuing such notices to opposition leaders.  Priyank has further explained that “I am an elected representative from one of the constituencies in Kalaburagi district the epicentre for the scam that CID is currently investigating.

Further, as an elected representative I am privy to various information that are in public domain not only to that of my constituency (Chittapur) but also of Kalaburagi. It is in this regard that I was quite baffled to know that insofar as the information that CID have now sought from myself through the notice, the said information has been in public domain for quite some time now. As an investigating agency, CID should have been the first to collect and collate such information before anybody else”.

Pointing to Section 91 of the Criminal Procedure Code referred to in the notice, he said that the provision allows the CID the power to summon a person to produce a document or a thing. “In the present instance, your notice being vague and baseless is glaringly in excess of the jurisdiction bestowed upon you by Section 91. You have issued notice not for the purpose of any free and fair investigation, but to placate your political bosses to whom I stand as political opponents,” he said.

Priyank has urged the DG of CID and its officers to refrain from issuing such “frivolous, baseless and unsubstantiated notices in exercising their power.” Meanwhile, Kharge was served a second notice on Thursday.  Meanwhile, CID sleuths have arrested one Jyoti Patil, an employee of Shahabad city municipality, in connection with the case.

Araga warns of stern action against PSI scam accused Divya
Bengalruru: As the CID probing the PSI recruitment scam is looking for accused Divya Hagaragi, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnane-ndra on Thursday said her assets will be confiscated. An arrest warrant has been issued and her assets will be confiscated soon, Araga said and asked her to surrender. The CID has already arrested several persons, including Divya’s husband Rajesh, in connection with the scam.  Divya was the president of Kalaburagi district BJP Mahila Morcha.  While the Congress has accused the State Government of protec-ting the accused in the case, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Araga have said that stern action will be taken against all those involved in the irregularities. “We have ordered a CID probe and action will be taken against the guilty,” Araga added.