The Karnataka High Court has ordered a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Additional Director General of Police Alok Kumar to investigate alleged irregularities in Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) recruitment for veterinary officers and other posts, directing it to submit a final report within 100 days.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna, hearing criminal petitions filed by MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and others seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, delivered the reserved judgment on Monday. The court said the investigation must uncover the alleged conspiracy in the recruitment process and identify those responsible.
The SIT will be headed by Alok Kumar, Additional Director General of Police in charge of the State Prisons and Correctional Services Department. The team will include IPS officers Divya Gopinath, Anoop Shetty, Kushal Chouksay and Kshama Mishra.
The court directed the SIT to complete the investigation and submit its final report within 100 days. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which has handled the investigation so far, must transfer its investigation report and all collected records to the SIT within one week. The SIT must also submit progress reports to the court every 30 days.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has already registered a case related to the alleged scam under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The High Court directed the ED and the SIT to coordinate their investigations. All departments, investigating agencies, public authorities and officials concerned have been instructed to provide full assistance to the SIT.
The court also authorised the SIT to obtain forensic laboratory support and specialised assistance in cyber, financial, technical and other areas as required. It directed that the investigation into both cases registered at the Vidhana Soudha police station be conducted comprehensively.
The petitioners had sought the transfer of the case to the CBI. The court, however, observed that transferring an investigation to the CBI could not automatically be considered the solution. Instead, it ordered the creation of the specialised state-level team and imposed a reporting structure aimed at monitoring progress.
The order comes in relation to KPSC recruitment involving veterinary officers in the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Department, as well as other posts. The allegations concern the integrity of the selection process and the possibility that appointments were affected by a wider conspiracy. The court’s directions relate to the investigation and do not establish criminal liability against any individual.
The judgment underlined the wider public consequences of alleged irregularities in public recruitment. The court observed that thousands of young people spend their most productive years preparing for competitive examinations, while recruitment scandals damage the credibility of appointments and erode public trust.
The court described the KPSC as a constitutional guardian responsible for providing access to public employment. It said recruitment was not merely an administrative exercise to fill vacancies, but a process linked to the equal opportunity guarantees under Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution.
The court further observed that the allegations had affected the foundations of equality and the integrity of public administration. It directed that the SIT conduct an independent and transparent investigation and said that no official or authority should interfere in the process.
The next hearing has been scheduled for January 5, 2027. The SIT’s periodic reports and its final report within the court-ordered 100-day period will be the next formal milestones in the case.
