BENGALURU: The Criminal Investigation Department is questioning two key persons in the police sub-inspector (PSI) recruitment scam regarding the graft money that was reportedly collected from the candidates to help them clear the examination. The two are said to be close to the senior IPS officer and additional director general of police Amrit Paul, who is presently lodged in judicial custody at the Bangalore Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara.
According to informed sources, the investigating team is questioning property dealer Anand and chartered accountant Shambhulingaiah regarding the graft money. “Relatives of Anand and Paul have reportedly developed some property in joint partnership in Chikkaballapur and elsewhere, which are under the CID scanner,” said sources.
“The arrested deputy superintendent of police Shanthakumar in his statement had reportedly confessed to having demanded Rs 5 crore from candidates for tampering with their OMR sheets and had collected around Rs 1.35 crore as advance, which was allegedly handed over to Paul. The latter had handed over the keys of the strongroom to Shanthakumar for the purpose,” said sources.
Since the PSI recruitment scam is around payment by each candidate to clear the exams, it is critical for the CID to establish the trail of money in each candidate’s case and prove it on record to back up the oral statements of the witnesses/accused to obtain a conviction. The agency has recovered around Rs 2.5 crore so far from the house of head constable, Central Armed Reserve (CAR), Sridhar, and first division assistant Harsha.
Sources said the CID will write to the Directorate of Enforcement to investigate the alleged money trail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The agency has filed three charge sheets; two in Kalaburagi and one in Bengaluru against the accused, including the DySP, in the PSI recruitment scam. The CID will file a charge sheet against Paul, for which they have another two months, added the sources. The IPS officer was arrested on July 4 in the PSI recruitment scam.