Bengaluru, August 2026 : IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar, who previously served as Controller of Examinations of the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), was sent to judicial custody on Sunday in connection with an alleged recruitment scam involving the appointment of veterinary officers.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is investigating the alleged irregularities, arrested Kumar after questioning him for two consecutive days. He was subsequently produced before the Bengaluru First Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) at the judge’s residence. The court remanded him to judicial custody and directed the authorities to produce him before an open court on August 31.
Kumar’s arrest marks a significant development in the CID investigation into alleged manipulation and other irregularities in the KPSC recruitment process. Investigators are examining evidence that allegedly points to the manipulation of Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets and are also probing whether selected candidates were provided training at hotels and resorts as part of the alleged recruitment operation.
According to sources, the IAS officer was questioned extensively by the CID on August 28, with the interrogation continuing until around 11 p.m. The questioning resumed the following day and reportedly continued until midnight. Investigators are believed to have found inconsistencies in Kumar’s statements during the course of the questioning, while evidence collected during the probe allegedly indicates his possible involvement in the manipulation of OMR answer sheets.
The CID is also investigating allegations that candidates were provided specialised training at certain hotels and resorts before recruitment examinations. Investigators are attempting to determine who organised such training, how it was financed and whether it was linked to the alleged manipulation of the examination process.
The arrest is expected to widen the scope of the investigation, with the agency likely to examine the possible role of former KPSC Chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar, besides other officials and members associated with the commission.
Investigators have reportedly collected details of four recruitment examinations conducted by the KPSC over the past three years. These include examinations for posts in the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department and the Industries and Commerce Department, apart from the veterinary officer recruitment examination.
The CID is now examining whether similar irregularities occurred in these examinations and whether there was a wider network involved in manipulating the recruitment process.
The alleged veterinary officer recruitment scam has also drawn the attention of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The central agency has conducted searches at the residences of the former KPSC chairman, commission members and officials in connection with the case. The CID had earlier carried out searches at the KPSC office as part of its investigation.
The probe is examining allegations ranging from question paper leaks and manipulation of marks to other irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted during Kumar’s tenure as Controller of Examinations.
The ED had also recently searched Kumar’s residence. The IAS officer was not present at the house at the time as he had travelled to his home state of Uttar Pradesh. ED officials subsequently opened the premises using a duplicate key and conducted the search.
With Kumar now in judicial custody, investigators are expected to intensify questioning of other officials and individuals associated with the KPSC recruitment process. The CID is also likely to examine financial transactions, examination records, digital evidence and communication among suspected individuals to establish the full extent of the alleged recruitment irregularities.
The investigation could determine whether the alleged manipulation was limited to the veterinary officer recruitment examination or formed part of a broader pattern of irregularities in multiple KPSC examinations.
