Probe into PSI recruitment scam transparent: HM Araga Jnanendra

PTI, Sep 21, 2022, 7:57 AM IST

Image credit: ANI / File

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Tuesday told the State Assembly that the inquiry by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) into the police sub-inspector recruitment scam is transparent and that the High Court has appreciated the way the probe was conducted.

The Opposition Congress has been demanding a judicial probe into the scam by a sitting High Court judge.

The CID is conducting an inquiry in a transparent manner. A total of 97 people have been arrested and they include 48 candidates and 26 policemen, Jnanendra told the Karnataka Assembly amid a din with Congress MLAs trooping into the well of the House.

The CID is conducting the inquiry properly. Since the matter is sub judice, I will not share more details. There is nothing suspicious in the investigation as has been stated by the Opposition, he said.

The Home Minister was replying during the discussion on the PSI recruitment scam.

He said the money to the tune of Rs 8 crore deposited in the banks and mutual funds has been frozen and 506 gm of gold seized.

The money deposited by R D Patil, the kingpin of the act of using a bluetooth device in the scam, and his aides have been seized. Patil is involved in all the eight cases, Jnanendra told the House.

According to him, the suspended Additional Director General of Police Amrit Paul, who was later arrested by the CID, had kept Rs 41 lakh with Shambhu Lingaiah.

This amount was collected from the candidates, he said.

Another accused Sridhar had kept Rs 1.71 crore with his wife and 70 lakh with his another relative Naveen, Janendra said.

The Home Minister apprised the House that the government wanted ADGP Paul to undergo la ie detection test but he did not agree to it.

The Opposition was not content with these replies and continued raising slogans demanding the judicial probe.

The Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah who started the discussion said Kalaburagi city BJP Mahila Morcha president Divya Hagaragi was arrested in this connection.

Despite objection from certain quarters, her Jnana Jyothi School in Kalaburagi was one of the centers where the illegalities took place, Siddaramaiah stated.

He alleged that the government was in denial from the beginning even when the State Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan wrote to the government on February 5, 2022, pointing to large-scale irregularities in the PSI recruitment.

The former chief minister said the Vijayapura BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal too had alleged widespread corruption in the PSI recruitment and had even suspected the involvement of a former chief minister and his son.

Further, Siddaramaiah said BJP MLA Basavaraj Dhadesugur’s audio in which a conversation on the exchange of Rs 15 lakh took place with a candidate’s father Parasappa.

Prabhu Chavan, Yatnal, Dhadesugur and Parasappa must also be investigated. You issue notice to our Congress MLA Priyank Kharge and not to these people, the Congress leader sought to know.

Kharge was served notice for holding a press conference in Kalaburagi regarding this case.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy defended serving notices to Kharge saying that the Congress MLA should explain how did he get the audio-clip which he played in the press conference.

You were in possession of evidences. That means you have colluded. You made a business, the Minister charged.

The Congressmen then trooped in the well of the House for accusing their member and also demanding a judicial probe into the matter.