ED begins probe into PSI job scam

Raids conducted on residences and premises linked to the accused

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has begun a probe into the police sub-inspector (PSI) recruitment scam that has allegedly seen several crores of rupees exchange hands as bribe.

The ED has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in the case and raided several premises related to the scam-accused hailing from Kalaburagi and who are out on bail, on Thursday.

Raids were conducted on the residences and premises linked to the scam’s kingpin Rudragowda Patil, his brother Mahantesh Patil, Divya Hagaragi, Kashinath, and Manjunath Melkundi. ED officials questioned the accused on several financial transactions. 

Several candidates allegedly paid in the range of ₹30 to ₹80 lakh for their answer sheets to be manipulated and give them high scores, pushing them up in the rank list. The CID has chargesheeted several officials posted at Police Recruitment Cell, including Amrit Paul, Additional Director-General of Police, who was then heading the Police Recruitment Cell and is now suspended.

The chargesheet alleges that conduits had collected ₹2 crore as bribe for the officials and even recovered ₹41 lakh in cash from one such person. “There has been a lot of bribe money that has exchanged hands and laundered in the PSI recruitment scam, which prompted us to refer the case to the ED,” a senior police official said.

Meanwhile, even as ED raided the house of Rudragowda Patil in Kalaburagi, the accused who had been violating bail conditions in the case and evading CID officials, was present there. However, as CID officials tried to arrest him in a Tumakuru case also related to the PSI recruitment scam, he allegedly distracted the team and fled by house jumping the compound wall. 

Recently, CID had sought the cancellation of bail granted to Rudragowda Patil since he was absconding from the day he was granted conditional bail by the Kalaburagi Bench of the High Court of Karnataka on December 15. The CID in a petition said that the accused was violating the bail conditions.