Published Sep 16, 2026 | 9:24 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 16, 2026 | 9:24 AM
Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar.
Synopsis: The ED has also reportedly taken possession of CCTV footage from the Devanahalli resort, buses allegedly used to ferry candidates, and Kannale’s car as part of the investigation. The agency is now preparing to attach alleged benami properties linked to Kannale as it examines suspected proceeds of the recruitment racket.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its probe into the alleged veterinary officer recruitment scam involving the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) and questioned suspended IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar and an alleged intermediary, Basavaraj Kannale, at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, where they are lodged.
According to reports, the ED has questioned over 400 people, including KPSC staff, resort personnel and candidates allegedly involved in the recruitment irregularities.
The report further said investigators are probing the money trail from the alleged recruitment racket, including where the proceeds went, who received a share, and whether the money was invested in properties.
Kannale allegedly told investigators that candidates were taken in special buses from Rajajinagar and Majestic to a resort in Devanahalli after the question paper was leaked, where they prepared for the examination. The report further alleged that Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets were subsequently manipulated.
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The ED has also reportedly taken possession of CCTV footage from the Devanahalli resort, buses allegedly used to ferry candidates, and Kannale’s car as part of the investigation.
The agency is now preparing to attach alleged benami properties linked to Kannale as it examines suspected proceeds of the recruitment racket, the report says.
On August 18, the ED searched 21 premises linked to former officials and others connected to the alleged scam.
Cases were registered after a complaint by veterinarian Manjunath, who accused the suspended former KPSC chairman, Shivashankarappa S Sahukara, and others of large-scale irregularities in recruiting veterinary officers for the state Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Department.
He alleged that several relatives of the chairman, members and staff secured high marks in the examination held on 8 and 9 January, despite their average academic records. He added that some candidates who had cleared national-level competitive exams scored relatively poorly in the state-held test.
Some candidates also alleged that several shortlisted candidates switched off their mobile phones a day before or on the day of the examination. They were allegedly lodged in hotels and resorts outside Karnataka, where intermediaries gave them the questions.
Manjunath also raised doubts over the authenticity of OMR answer sheets. He alleged that candidates who had left several questions unanswered scored highly. He said intermediaries offered to manipulate OMR sheets for up to ₹80 lakh.
