KPSC Scam: ED reveals resort stays, leaked papers, ₹50 lakh bribes in vet officer fraud
Synopsis
The KPSC veterinary officer scam is far more systemic than a simple bribe-for-job arrangement — the ED's investigation reveals a sophisticated operation where insiders used confidential merit-list data to identify vulnerable candidates, housed them in Airbnb villas with leaked answer keys the night before the exam, and extracted up to ₹50 lakh per head. Four people, including a suspended KPSC chairman and an IAS officer, are now in custody.
Key Takeaways
10 candidates were allegedly taken to resorts or Airbnb villas near Bengaluru the night before the exam and given leaked answers for 80 questions .
Bribes of ₹40 lakh to ₹50 lakh per candidate were allegedly collected by BJP leader Basavaraj Kannale .
The confidential 1:3 merit list was allegedly misused to identify and approach candidates likely to secure selection.
Suspended KPSC Chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar and KPSC Member B.V.
Geetha were produced before the Special Court on 7 October ; both given 14 days ED custody.
IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar and Basavaraj Kannale were arrested on 18 and 17 September respectively under Section 19 of PMLA .
Searches recovered blank signed cheques worth ₹80 lakh and blank promissory notes from one successful candidate.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has revealed alarming details of a systemic cash-for-selection racket in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) Veterinary Officers' Recruitment Examination, disclosing that candidates who allegedly paid bribes were housed in resorts and Airbnb villas on the outskirts of Bengaluru the night before the exam and handed leaked question papers with correct answers for 80 questions to memorise. The multi-crore scam, probed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), targeted 400 veterinary officer posts and ensnared a suspended KPSC chairman, a KPSC member, a senior IAS officer, and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.
Resort Stays and Question Paper Leaks
According to the ED, 10 successful candidates were taken to a resort or Airbnb villa on the outskirts of Bengaluru one day before the examination. They were allegedly provided a question paper containing correct answer options for 80 questions and were made to practise and memorise them before sitting the exam.
The agency said the leaked question paper was allegedly sourced from Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, then KPSC Controller of Examinations and an IAS officer, through his close associate BJP leader Basavaraj Kannale. Kannale allegedly collected bribes ranging between ₹40 lakh and ₹50 lakh from each candidate in return for facilitating their final selection.
Key Arrests and Court Proceedings
Gangwar and Kannale were arrested under Section 19 of the PMLA on 17 and 18 September, respectively. Following their arrest, the Special Court for PMLA cases (CCH-4) remanded both to ED custody for 14 days. Gangwar was subsequently moved to judicial custody and, during interrogation, allegedly disclosed crucial information about irregularities across multiple KPSC recruitment examinations.
The ED also arrested suspended KPSC Chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar and KPSC Member B.V. Geetha. Both were produced before the Special Court on 7 October, which granted the agency another 14 days of ED custody for further investigation. The arrests follow FIRs registered at Vidhana Soudha Police Station under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
How the 1:3 Merit List Was Allegedly Misused
A particularly troubling dimension of the scam involves the alleged exploitation of KPSC's confidential 1:3 merit list. The ED revealed that while KPSC does not publicly disclose individual candidates' marks in this eligibility list, certain KPSC members and officials allegedly accessed confidential merit positions from the Controller of Examinations' office.
Officials allegedly analysed individual candidates' chances of securing final selection and then approached those candidates, assuring them of selection in exchange for illegal gratification. The bribes reportedly ranged from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh, depending on the nature and level of the post.
Seizures and Ongoing Investigation
During earlier searches and seizure operations, the ED recovered blank signed cheques amounting to ₹80 lakh along with blank signed promissory notes from one of the successful candidates — documents that investigators say were intended to facilitate or secure bribe payments.
The agency said its investigation into recruitment irregularities, paper leaks, bribery, and the generation of proceeds of crime is continuing. This comes amid broader scrutiny of recruitment processes across Indian states, where systemic manipulation of merit lists and exam materials has drawn repeated public outcry. Notably, the KPSC scam is among the most structurally elaborate documented so far — involving insiders at the chairman level, an IAS officer, and a political operative allegedly working in concert.
With multiple accused now in custody and the probe widening to cover other KPSC examinations, further arrests and disclosures are expected in the coming weeks.
Point of View
While KPSC insiders weaponised confidential merit data to squeeze candidates, points to corruption embedded across multiple layers of a single recruitment chain. The resort-and-memorisation setup reveals operational boldness that could only exist if those involved felt largely insulated from consequences. Karnataka has witnessed recurring exam-scam cycles; what differs here is the documented involvement of a chairman-level official, raising uncomfortable questions about whether the KPSC's oversight structure has any meaningful independence at all.
NationPress
8 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the KPSC veterinary officer recruitment scam?
It is an alleged cash-for-selection racket in the Karnataka Public Service Commission's recruitment examination for 400 veterinary officer posts, in which candidates reportedly paid bribes of up to ₹50 lakh each to secure selection. The ED's investigation under the PMLA has so far resulted in the arrest of four individuals, including the suspended KPSC chairman and a serving IAS officer.
How were the question papers allegedly leaked in the KPSC scam?
According to the ED, then KPSC Controller of Examinations and IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar allegedly leaked the question paper through BJP leader Basavaraj Kannale. Ten candidates were taken to resorts or Airbnb villas near Bengaluru the night before the exam and given a paper with correct answers for 80 questions to memorise.
Who has been arrested in the KPSC scam so far?
Four people have been arrested: IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar and BJP leader Basavaraj Kannale, arrested on 18 and 17 September respectively; and suspended KPSC Chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar and KPSC Member B.V. Geetha, produced before the Special Court on 7 October and placed in 14 days of ED custody.
How was the KPSC 1:3 merit list misused in the scam?
The ED says certain KPSC members and officials allegedly accessed candidates' confidential merit positions from the Controller of Examinations' office, identified those most likely to secure final selection, and then approached them with bribe demands ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh in exchange for guaranteeing their selection.
What evidence has the ED seized in the KPSC case?
The ED recovered blank signed cheques amounting to ₹80 lakh and blank signed promissory notes from one of the successful candidates during earlier search operations. The agency says its investigation into paper leaks, bribery, and proceeds of crime is still ongoing and may expand to cover other KPSC examinations.
