The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday, 1 September raided the residence of arrested Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Basavaraj Kannale in Sanjaynagar, Bengaluru, as part of the widening probe into the alleged Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) recruitment scam. Officials reportedly seized call detail records (CDRs) and CCTV footage from the premises during the search.

Key Developments in the Investigation

The probe has taken a significant turn, with investigators reportedly establishing that around 20 candidates are willing to turn approvers and have confessed to their involvement in the alleged scam. The CID is simultaneously examining irregularities in the recruitment of Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) officers and Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySPs), broadening the scope well beyond the veterinary officer recruitment that initially triggered the case.

Investigators have reportedly confirmed that the 29 selected candidates named as accused had paid money in connection with the recruitment process. The agency is also probing the role of alleged middlemen who purportedly facilitated the irregularities.

Who Has Been Named and Arrested

The CID has formally structured the accused list: suspended KPSC Chairman Sahukar Shivashankarappa is named accused No. 1; KPSC members as accused No. 2; KPSC officials as accused No. 4; and the 29 selected candidates as accused No. 5. Arrested IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar has also been named as the fifth accused, while Basavaraj Kannale has been designated the sixth accused.

The CID has so far arrested both Gangwar and Kannale, with further legal action expected against those not yet in custody. More arrests are likely as the probe progresses, according to sources.

Court Custody and Interrogation Details

A Bengaluru court on Monday remanded both Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar and Basavaraj Kannale to 10 days of CID custody, extending until 9 September, to facilitate further questioning into the alleged question paper leak, manipulation of OMR answer sheets, and other recruitment irregularities.

Gangwar was arrested after being questioned for two days over alleged irregularities in the veterinary officer recruitment examination. He was produced before the Bengaluru First Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) court, which had earlier granted one day of judicial custody before directing he appear in open court on 31 August. Investigators questioned him extensively on 28 and 29 August, with interrogation reportedly continuing late into the night, as officials examined alleged inconsistencies in his statements and evidence purportedly pointing to his role in OMR sheet manipulation.

Scope of Alleged Irregularities

Beyond the question paper leak, the CID is examining allegations that selected candidates were provided training at hotels and resorts as part of the alleged recruitment process — a detail that points to an organised, multi-layered operation rather than isolated misconduct. Gangwar, who was responsible for conducting examinations and maintaining the confidentiality of question papers, is considered among the key accused in the case, according to investigators.

This comes amid growing scrutiny of public service recruitment processes across several states, making the KPSC case a closely watched test of accountability for competitive examination integrity in Karnataka. The CID is expected to make further arrests as questioning of the 20 prospective approvers advances.