PSI Recruitment Scam: Karnataka High Court Issues Notice To State On Congress MLA Priyank Kharge's PIL Seeking Court-Monitored Probe

A division bench of Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice S Vishwajith Shetty issued the notice and directed the present probe agency the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to file a status report on the investigation carried out in the alleged scam.

Senior advocate Vikram Huilgol appearing for petitioner argued that preliminary investigation has revealed the involvement of various high ranking officers of the Karnataka Government and high net worth individuals.

The plea states that despite the investigation being transferred to CID, which is still under the control of the State Home Department, it has been unable to make any headway in unearthing the alleged nexus between candidates, officers and politicians.

Further, it is claimed there exists no information regarding progress made by the CID after the arrest of Divya Hagari and Dy SP Shanta Kumar. It is alleged that CID under the influence of the Home Minister is trying to scuttle the truth by fabricating and controlling the statements made by the said individuals during interrogation.

It is claimed that as per various reports the vehicle owned by key accused Divya Hagargi was spotted in the same assembly area as that of the current home minister for days together during the time the recruitment scam was unravelling and no investigation has till date been undertaken with respect to the said reports and the allegation made therein.

The plea also says that on account of the alleged scam not only is the future of more than hundreds of candidates is at stake but also the credibility of the entire government machinery, including the police department, insofar as the nature and the alleged connivance between the officers, politicians and touts are concerned.

It is also claimed that in an audio clip, allegedly containing the voice of BJP MLA Basavaraj Dhadesugur it was indicated that the scam did take place in the PSI recruitment process allegedly involving senior police officers, politicians, members of party ruling the government.

Thus, in the light of such disclosures in the audio clip, it is all the more evident that the arrest of Additional Director General of Police Amrit Paul is just an eye-wash by the State government so as to protect the wrongdoings of their own Ministers and lawmakers.

Finally seeking court monitored investigation it is claimed that CID being one of the departments under the State Home Department and the Home Minister having already given a clean chit to the accused there exists all possibilities that the home minister and the home department will influence the outcome of the said investigation. CID in the present form may not be able to carry out a fair investigation.

The scam involved malpractices and corruption in the recruitment of 438 police sub-inspector across state. The examination was held on October 3, 2021 and the results were announced January 21, 2022.

Case Title: Priyank M Kharge And State of Karnataka & Others

Case No: WP 25348/2022.

Appearance: Senior Advocate Vikram Huilgol for Advocate Abhishek K for petitioner.