Cong Govt in K'taka to Re-investigate PSI Recruitment Scam

Bengaluru, May 25 (IANS) The ruling Congress in Karnataka will re-investigate the Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) recruitment scam in the state.

More than 30 accused, including an ADGP ranked officer, have been arrested in connection with it.

During a meeting with police officers on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar made special mention of the scandal and slammed the department.

Cabinet minister M.B. Patil stated that the Congress government will get all the scandals that took place during the previous BJP government investigated.

Alleging involvement of several prominent BJP leaders in the scam, the Congress leaders vehemently demanded resignation of former Home Minister Araga Jnanendra. They also alleged corruption by former minister Dr C.N. Ashwath Narayan and indirectly referred to former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's son BJP MLA B.Y. Vijayendra's role.

ADGP Amrit Paul, who was arrested long back, is still in the prison. The Congress leaders maintain that the investigation is stuck at this stage and the authorities have not bothered to carry forward the probe as there is involvement of powerful BJP politicians.

The investigation agency has already submitted two charge sheets to the court regarding the scandal and is still investigating the case. The Congress leadership has decided to expedite the probe and expose the alleged collusion of BJP leadership. If the involvement of BJP leadership is found, it would help Congress party in upcoming Lok Sabha and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections, sources said.

As many as 54,041 candidates appeared for exams. The results were announced in January.

Later, the allegations surfaced that candidates who performed poorly in descriptive writing secured maximum marks in Paper 2. However, the police department and the Home Minister denied any irregularities in PSI recruitment exams.

One of the candidates filed an RTI application seeking information on OMR sheets of one of the candidates. Though the application was rejected, the OMR sheet of the candidate appeared in public domain. Police sources say that Veeresh, the candidate, had attended only 21 questions in paper 2 but got 100 marks. He was granted 7th rank.

Congress MLA Priyank Kharge had alleged that more than 300 of the 545 candidates had paid Rs 70 to 80 lakh bribe to officials and ministers to become PSIs. The ruling BJP had then challenged him to produce evidence before CID.