PSI recruitment scam: A case of ‘fence eating the crop’, says Karnataka High Court judge

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Bengaluru, July 14, 2022: The case of the alleged involvement of police officials, including a senior IPS officer of the rank of Additional Director General of Police, in the police sub-inspectors recruitment exam is a case of the “fence eating the crop” a single-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court said Thursday.

Justice H P Sandesh of the High Court has been monitoring the progress of the investigations being conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Karnataka Police in the police sub-inspectors recruitment scam over the last few weeks in the course of a bail petition filed by a candidate who was arrested for his involvement in fraudulent selection.

Justice Sandesh is also involved in the monitoring of investigations of a corruption case at the office of the deputy commissioner of the Bengaluru Urban region filed by the state Anti Corruption Bureau.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court asked the judge to defer the hearing of the ACB case after the ACB approached the apex court over strong remarks made by the judge against the ACB chief for the mode of investigation in the case. The judge noted in his July 11 order that he had received an indirect threat for questioning the functioning of the ACB.

On Thursday, in the morning session of a hearing of the bail petition linked to the PSI recruitment scam, Justice Sandesh questioned the progress of the probe in the case since the arrest of senior IPS officer and ADGP Amrit Paul on July 4. “The ADGP, who is at the helm of affairs, has indulged in tampering with the OMR sheets. How can we expect a fair investigation? This is also nothing but a case of the fence eating the crop,” the judge said.

He raised questions as to how officers who are subordinate to the ADGP can carry out a fair investigation against their superior officer. “This is why I asked that when the ADGP was arrested 10 days ago, what was the focus of the investigation? The persons who are investigating are below the rank of an ADGP. Are they bold enough to investigate the matter?” Justice Sandesh said.

“You have not recorded the statement of the ADGP and you have not produced him in court for recording his statement. He has been in police custody. When are you going to record his statement?…Nothing has been done in the last 10 days,” the judge said. Earlier, the court had said that the scam was an “act of terror on society”.

The high court was told by the CID counsel that the investigation was being monitored personally by the director general of police of the CID on the directions of the High Court. The court was also informed about the status of the investigation against the arrested senior police officer.

“The DG, CID, himself is monitoring therefore there cannot be doubts about investigations,” the counsel for the CID told the High Court while providing a status report from the DG of the CID.

“We froze the bank accounts of the ADGP. We have searched his house and the house of an aide. The analysis of the phone and the CDR is also on. Who spoke to whom and for how long are being analysed. We have to ascertain his location during the calls and it takes time,” the High Court was informed by the CID counsel.

The CID said six cases of tampering with the OMR sheets of candidates who appeared for the PSI recruitment exam had been registered in Bengaluru.

One ADGP, two DSPs were arrested, two reserve police inspectors, one fingerprint department inspector, two PSIs, and one RSI were also arrested for facilitating malpractices in different forms in the PSI recruitment exam, ther court was informed.

Courtesy: The New Indian Express