KPSC Veterinary Officer Recruitment Scam: CID Probe Reveals Money Trail, Question Leak Network

Karnataka Public Service Commission office in Bengaluru. | Photo credit: File photo

The CID probing the alleged KPSC veterinary officer recruitment scam has traced a money trail of ₹92 crore, besides identifying the alleged network through which exam questions were leaked to candidates ahead of the test.

According to the latest details of the investigation, 40 candidates have been questioned, of which 29 have been named as accused in the FIR. Investigators established links between the candidates, a set of middlemen, former KPSC Controller of Examinations IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar and yet key middleman Basavaraj Kannale.

Investigation revealed that five candidates – Siddharth, Raj Mohammed, Basavaraj, Mahendra and Niranjan – were allegedly contacted by an intermediary Pawan through Kannale. Another candidate, Mohammed Sohel, was reportedly contacted by a Maruti intermediary through Kannale. Besides, Kannale is said to have directly contacted candidates Vinod, Kiran Gowda and Chaitra.

₹92 crore deposited

Investigators traced deposits totaling ₹92,000 in accounts linked to the alleged network, including an account at Om Lakshmi Souharda Cooperative Bank in Tilakwadi and a Kotak Mahindra Bank account in the name of Balu Reddy.

Records show that between January and February 2026, candidates made multiple deposits ranging from ₹1,000 to ₹10,00,000. The investigation also noted alleged cash payments by candidates.

The CID has frozen debit operations in the accounts where the candidates allegedly deposited money. About ₹ 69.2 lakh (64 lakh in Om Lakshmi Souharda’s Co-operative Bank account and ₹ 5.2 lakh in Kotak Mahindra’s bank account) was frozen. Another ₹ 71.18 lakh in the bank accounts of Kannala and his wife were also frozen. CID seized ₹5.76 crore in cash from Kannale.

At Devanahalli Villas

The investigation found that communication between the candidates, middlemen and Kannale was done through WhatsApp, while the mobile phones seized from the candidates are being forensically analysed.

The questions were allegedly supplied to the candidates in hard copy before the examination. Around 60 to 80 questions from each questionnaire were reportedly leaked.

The alleged question leak took place in three villas in Orchid Nirvana gated community near Devanahalli, according to the investigation. The candidates were reportedly taken to the villas where five of them practiced answering the leaked questions.

Investigators identified the printer where the question papers were printed and questioned its representative.

Alleged role of Gangwar

Gangwar, who was arrested on August 29, was being questioned in connection with the alleged leak.

CID searched his residence and seized documents from KPSC and MSME Department offices. The CID also set up a mahazar at the spot where Gangwar allegedly destroyed a tablet which was used to take pictures of the question papers and transfer them to a pen drive.

Internet Protocol Detail Records (IPDR) analysis reportedly established communications between Gangwar and Kannale before and after the examination. The CID also identified a flat in Devanahalli belonging to Gangwar’s brother Kamalapati Gangwar. The key to the flat was reportedly recovered from Kannale’s residence and CCTV footage of the premises was collected.

The CID also searched Kannale Dairy Farm in Bhalki, Bidar, and Sri Siddheshwari Souharda Cooperative Bank in Bhalki. The CID also interrogated Omkar Kamshetti, vice-president of the Om Lakshmi Souhard cooperative society, and allegedly found financial links between him and Kannale.

The CID also sought copies of documents and other materials seized by the Enforcement Directorate.

Published – 21 Sep 2026 22:32 IST