KCOCA invoked against 12, including PSI recruitment-scam kingpin RD Patil, in exam malpractice cases

The dozen includes the prime accused and kingpin Rudragouda Devendrappa Patil alias RD Patil. He also happens to be the alleged kingpin in the police sub-inspector (PSI) recruitment scam.

The 11 others are Santhosh Kottalli, Shivakumara, Sidrama Koli, Ravikumar, Rudragowda, Rahim Choudhary, Sagar, Basanna Poojari, Chandrakantha Burakal, Shashidhara Jamadara and Basavaraja Yelavara.

Also read: Karnataka HC issues guidelines to be followed on KCOCA

The cases

The CID has so far collected enough and sufficient evidence to show that the 12 accused committed the offences by forming an organised syndicate, CID sources told South First.

At least eight cases have been registered in Kalaburgi and Yadgir districts in connection with the malpractices in the 28 October tests where candidates were caught misusing Bluetooth devices.

The examinations were conducted by the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) for recruitment to FDA posts in KEONICS and other state government organisations.

The provisions of KCOCA have been invoked in the case registered at the Ashok Nagar Police Station in Kalaburagi City, where RD Patil has been named the prime accused.

He has been booked in the eight aforementioned police cases related to “malpractices” committed during recruitment examinations by the KEA.

The Ashok Nagar police registered a case against RD Patil under Sections 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The latter is a non-bailable offence.

Also read: Karnataka appoints judicial panel to probe PSI recruitment scam

Patil’s misdeeds

RD Patil, who escaped arrest by shoving away the CID officials who had come to arrest him in January this year, later released a video wherein he claimed that the CID was targeting him.

He accused them of acting on the instructions of some “political leaders” who had grown insecure by his rising fame and popularity. He also expressed his desire to join politics.

By fleeing the CID officials who had come to arrest him, he had violated the bail conditions in all the other cases registered against him.

He ran out of options and surrendered before a local court in Kalaburagi on 23 January. The court remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days.

Over the past three years, Patil has had over 20 cases registered against him for allegedly aiding in the malpractices of candidates who aspire to join the state police, public works, and engineering departmental jobs.

Out of these 20 cases, his name features in 16 cases registered in connection with the PSI recruitment irregularities after the arrested candidates revealed his name and his role in the scam.