BENGALURU: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Monday arrested senior IPS officer and former chief of police recruitment, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Amrit Paul in connection with the alleged multi-crore police sub inspector (PSI) recruitment scam. He was taken for medical examination to Victoria Hospital soon after his arrest and later produced before a court, which remanded him to police custody for 10 days for custodial interrogation.
According to sources, the confessional statement made by former DSP Shantha Kumar, who was arrested earlier by the CID in the case under Section 164 CrPC was reportedly instrumental in Paul’s arrest. Kumar was responsible for the strongroom, which was allegedly rigged.
“The CID had gathered enough evidence including digital proof which led to the arrest of the senior IPS officer,” said sources. Following a letter from the DGP, CID, to the Chief Secretary informing about Paul’s arrest, the State government has placed Paul under suspension under The All India Services (Discipline & Appeals) Rule, 1969.
As per the rule, any member of the Service who is detained in official custody whether on a criminal charge or otherwise for a period longer than 48 hours, shall be deemed to have been suspended by the government concerned.
This is the first time in the history of Indian Police Service (IPS), Karnataka cadre that an ADGP rank officer has been arrested. His arrest sent shock waves across the top bureaucracy in the State. Paul, an IPS officer of 1995 batch, was called for questioning for the third time to the CID office at Carlton House with regards to the ongoing investigation in the infamous PSI recruitment scam at around 11 am. He was questioned by the investigating officer (IO) - Superintendent of Police (SP) Raghavendra Hegde - and later arrested at around 2 pm.
Officer felt sick during questioning
The PSI recruitment scam has rocked the BJP-led government with the Opposition upping its ante against alleged corruption in government machinery. The examinations for the post of 545 PSIs were held in October last year, when Paul was ADGP, Recruitment. Over 54,000 candidates had appeared for the examination across Karnataka at 92 centres.
After the scam broke out, the government transferred him to the Internal Security Division (ISD) and annulled the examination. The CID has so far arrested 79 people including Paul in the scam and registered eight FIRs. Out of the arrested, 32 are candidates, who had allegedly cleared the examination through fraudulent means. Eleven of these candidates are constables and head constables.
All the arrested government officials have been placed under suspension. Last week, a single-judge bench of Karnataka High Court, Justice H P Sandesh had observed that corruption with regards to the appointment of PSIs is a serious matter and had directed the Director General of Police (DGP), CID, P S Sandhu to personally monitor the investigations as the court heard the bail petitions of the accused.
“The truth must come out. The court will also monitor the progress of the investigation. The action should be initiated against the accused, irrespective of whether they are ministers or officers,” the court noted, while directing Sandhu to submit a progress report regarding the investigation on July 7.
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