Responding to the malpractice reported in the examination for recruitment of Police Sub-Inspectors (PSIs), Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that his government would take stringent action against those involved in the scam.
“Measures were taken to ensure transparency in the conduct of PSI recruitment examinations. Yet, some people breached the security measures and attempted to cheat. We have ordered a CID [Criminal Investigation Department] enquiry into the case. They have raided some educational institutions in Kalaburagi. Some persons have been arrested. The investigating officials have also questioned all those who had appeared for the examination. We will take action against those involved in the malpractice,” Mr. Bommai said.
When asked why BJP leader Divya Hagaragi, one of the main accused, has not been arrested even a week after her name surfaced in the case, Mr. Bommai reiterated that there is no question of protecting anybody.
“Our government had ordered the CID investigation when the irregularities surfaced. The first raid was conducted on her [Ms. Hagaragi’s] institution. There is no question of protecting anybody. Don’t we know how such examination frauds were covered up in the past during the Congress government? There were instances of conducting re-examinations twice, thrice and four times [because of malpractices in the recruitment exams],” Mr. Bommai said.
To a question about whether the government was thinking of a re-examination, the Chief Minister said that he had asked for an interim report and a decision would be taken on based on the report.
“The investigation would be carried out transparently. Once we receive the report, we will think of re-examination,” Mr. Bommai said.
Ministers Murugesh Nirani and B. Sreeramulu, Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board Chairman Dattatreya Patil Revoor, legislators Shashil G. Namoshi, Basavaraj Mattimadu, Subhash Guttedar, Sunil Valyapure and others were present.
The Chief Minister was in Kalaburagi along with other senior BJP leaders and cabinet colleagues to attend BJP’s Core Committee meeting. On landing in the District Armed Reserve (DAR) ground in a helicopter, he was welcomed by Regional Commissioner N.V. Prasad, Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board secretary R. Venkatesh Kumar, Inspector General of Police Manish Karbikar, Deputy Commissioner Yeshwanth Gurukar, City Police Commissioner Y.S. Ravikumar, Superintendent of Police Isha Pant and Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Dileesh Sasi.
