Bengaluru court sends IAS officer, KPSC irregularities accused to 10-day CID custody
A Bengaluru court on Monday sent IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar and alleged mastermind Basavaraj Kannale, arrested in connection with charges of irregularities in the KPSC recruitment process, to CID custody for 10 days.
Gangwar and Kannale were produced before the magistrate court, and the CID sought their custody. The court accepted the CID's submission and granted 10 days of custody after perusing the remand application.
The CID officials arrested the IAS officer Gangwar on Sunday in connection with the alleged irregularities in the KPSC recruitment examination for veterinary officers.
He was subsequently produced before the First Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) at his residence, who remanded him to judicial custody for one day. Following this, he was taken to Parappana Agrahara prison. The judge asked that Gangwar be produced before the open court on Monday.
According to official sources, CID sleuths nabbed Kannale from Delhi on Sunday. Kannale's photos with some BJP leaders have gone viral on social media, leading to some allegations and counter-allegations.
The CID officials questioned Gangwar on Friday and Saturday, after he appeared before the investigating officer in response to a notice.
According to official sources, Gangwar was questioned as he was the Controller of Examinations at the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) from February 2024 to March 2026.
He was taken into custody for allegedly not cooperating with the investigation, they said.
The CID is probing allegations of irregularities in the recruitment examination, including the handling of examination records, OMR sheets and the role of involved officials and others.
The officer's whereabouts recently triggered controversy following searches by the ED in connection with the alleged irregularities at the KPSC.
State Home Minister Priyank Kharge subsequently said Gangwar informed him that he had gone to his native place in Uttar Pradesh, citing a family emergency involving his father's health.
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) officials subsequently conducted searches at the officer's premises.
According to officials, the CID and the ED are carrying out separate investigations into KPSC-related irregularities.
Meanwhile, Priyank Kharge on Monday said the speed with which the ED has come into the picture in the case raises doubts.
"They have come to protect the BJP leaders. ED generally comes after the CID or local investigators conduct the probe. Looking at their speed and urgency, I have lots of doubts that it is to protect someone," he told reporters here.
Pointing to alleged mastermind Kannale's pictures with some BJP leaders, Kharge said, "Let them answer about the photographs.....The benefit of the doubt can be given if the photos were taken at some public event. Here, cake is being cut and fed inside the house.... It looks like a BJP executive meeting where BJP MLAs are also sitting. They will answer better."
