How did the recruitment scam happen and who were the accused? How will the scam affect the recruitment drive?
How did the recruitment scam happen and who were the accused? How will the scam affect the recruitment drive?
the story So Far: Karnataka The state police had released a gazette notification early last year to fill 545 Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) vacancies. After the physical test, more than 54,000 candidates appeared for the written test in 92 centers across the state in January 2022. However, in March, irregularities first surfaced, when a social media post revealed that Viresh Chandrasekhar, a candidate from Kalaburgi, who secured 7th position. , was given 121 marks out of 150 even though he attempted only 21 questions as per the carbon copy of his OMR sheet. The Crime Investigation Department (CID) investigation unearthed one of the biggest recruitment scams in the state, with bribes worth lakhs and arrests of over 60 candidates, local politicians and top police officials in the Karnataka Police Recruitment Cell. Its then Chief Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Amrit Paul.
How did the misconduct happen?
The format of PSI exam consists of two papers. One OMR sheet consists of a comprehension paper of 50 marks and MCQ paper of 150 marks (100 questions for 1.5 marks each). It is in the second paper that the CID officials uncovered two methods of fraud employed to get high marks.
First of all the candidates took the help of invigilators. They left most of the questions on the OMR sheet unanswered, attempting to do only what they knew while the invigilators later filled in the rest with correct answers.
Second, the candidates used a Bluetooth device. The question paper was leaked from the exam centers to the touts who had a panel of experts answering the candidates through Bluetooth devices. While metal detectors were deployed at the centres, the detectors used in the PSI recruitment test were very small, skin colored and unrecognizable.
Who were involved?
Lasting more than four months, the investigation systematically rigged the entire recruitment process, revealing rot all the way to the top of the chain. Those arrested include candidates, gangsters and their associates, touts and middlemen, inspectors, police personnel and officers of the recruitment cell. The mastermind of the scam was found at the local level in Kalaburagi by Congress leaders Rudragowda Patil and his brother Mahantesh Patil.
The other main accused was Divya Hagaragi, former president of the women’s wing in the Kalburgi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
What was the role of the Recruitment Cell?
Investigation revealed that ADGP Amrit Paul – who was heading the recruitment department when the scam came to light – had handed over the keys of the strong room to Deputy Superintendent of Police Shanta Kumar, where the OMR sheets were kept amid tight security.
Mr Kumar then reportedly hired first-class assistant Harsh and Reserve Sub-Inspector (RSI) Sridhar and Srinivas to help him shut down the CCTV and fill in the blank OMR sheets.
The CID arrested Mr. Kumar and four junior officers. ADGP Amrit Paul was initially transferred to the Internal Security Division before being arrested in July 2022.
What happened because of the misconduct?
Becoming a Police Sub-Inspector is a coveted government post that comes with the promise of job security and promotions. This year however, around 1.29 lakh candidates applied for only 545 vacancies.
According to sources, 30 candidates had paid between Rs 30 lakh to Rs 1 crore for tampering with the OMR sheet and appearing in the toppers’ list. Some of them had sold their land, while others had mortgaged their valuables to pay bribes.
The sheer nature of the scam once again brought to the fore corruption at the higher levels of the police force.
How did the state government react?
On April 30, 2022, the state government canceled the recruitment process, canceled the announced provisional list of 545 PSIs and decided to conduct a new exam. This sparked outrage among the selected candidates, who started protests demanding that only those indulging in misconduct should be punished. They argued that with the cut-off for the PSI exam being fixed at 30 years of age, many of them would have crossed the threshold, making them ineligible to take the re-exam.
How has the scam affected recruitment?
The 90,000-strong Karnataka State Police, which was plagued by over 30% vacancies, had launched an aggressive recruitment drive from 2016 with the aim of having no vacancies by 2023-24. While the scam has rocked the police department and the government alike, the cancellation of the select list has dealt a big blow to the recruitment drive, believe officials.
essence
Lasting more than four months, the investigation systematically rigged the entire recruitment process, revealing rot all the way to the top of the chain.
Congress leader Rudragowda Patil found the mastermind of this scam at the local level in Kalaburagi.
On April 30, 2022, the state government canceled the recruitment process, canceled the announced provisional list of 545 PSIs and decided to conduct a new exam.