Bengaluru The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested former Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) chairman Shivashankarappa S. Sahukar and commission member BV Geeta in connection with a money-laundering investigation into alleged cash-for-jobs and recruitment irregularities. ED officials detained Sahukar after questioning him at his residence in Dollars Colony, Bengaluru, while Geeta was also taken into custody for questioning from her apartment in the same locality. Both were subsequently produced before a court, where the agency sought their custody for further investigation.
The arrests are part of the ED’s money-laundering probe into alleged recruitment irregularities and the collection of money in exchange for jobs in KPSC examinations. The agency has previously questioned and searched several people and premises linked to the case. Last week, suspended IAS officer and former KPSC examination controller Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar was questioned by the agency. Gangwar and alleged political activist Basavaraj Kannale are already in judicial custody, and their bail pleas have been rejected by the courts.
According to the investigation, questioning of Sahukar began at his residence on Tuesday morning. ED officials questioned him about alleged recruitment irregularities and other aspects of the case. Following the questioning, he was detained and subsequently arrested. A separate ED team picked up Geeta from her residence in the morning for questioning. Investigators are now questioning both in connection with the alleged recruitment process, the events surrounding the question-paper leak and the financial transactions linked to the case.
Investigators have also questioned several candidates who appeared in the KPSC recruitment examination. One of them is Suguresh, a close relative of Sahukar, who reportedly secured unusually high marks in the examination. Investigators are examining his statements and other evidence to establish the alleged links between candidates, officials and other people involved in the recruitment process.
The investigation has alleged that the question paper and related answer material were made available to certain individuals before the examination. Investigators have also alleged that Gangwar spoke to Sahukar twice over the phone on the night of January 7, a day before the examination. It is alleged that the question paper and answer-related material subsequently reached Suguresh, who later allegedly shared the same material with Geeta. The ED is examining call records, digital evidence and other documents to verify these allegations.
Sahukar is originally from Hemanala village in Devadurga taluk of Raichur district and holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering. He was appointed as a member of the KPSC in September 2019. In April 2021, he was elevated to the position of KPSC chairman following a recommendation from the state government and was appointed by the then governor.
Sahukar had earlier also faced scrutiny in matters related to recruitment and reservation. Questions were raised over an alleged fraudulent income certificate submitted by his daughter to claim reservation benefits. He has also faced scrutiny in connection with allegations of recruitment irregularities, question-paper leaks, cash-for-jobs arrangements and alleged networks involving middlemen in various KPSC examinations.
The ED is now investigating the alleged financial trail linked to the recruitment scam, including bank transactions, suspected assets and other financial activities. The agency had also conducted searches at Sahukar’s Dollars Colony residence several times in August. As the investigation progresses, the role of other individuals allegedly involved in the recruitment process and the financial network connected to the case is also expected to be examined.
