The Enforcement Directorate has searched 22 locations in Karnataka and Ahmedabad as part of its investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Veterinary Officers through the Karnataka Public Service Commission. The searches cover KPSC-linked premises, officials, candidates, alleged middlemen, and Edutest Solutions, which handled digital evaluation. Investigators are examining allegations involving paper leaks, OMR answer-sheet manipulation, and demands for ₹70–80 lakh from candidates for selection. The probe also seeks to establish whether recruitment outcomes were allegedly influenced in favour of relatives of KPSC officials.
ED Raids 22 Locations In Karnataka Veterinary Officer Recruitment Case Over Alleged Bribery And Paper Leak
The Enforcement Directorate raided 21 locations in Karnataka and one in Ahmedabad in connection with charges of bribery, paper leaks, and manipulation in the recruitment process for the appointment of Veterinary Officers.
A new turn has been taken in the Karnataka Veterinary Officer recruitment case on Tuesday, with the Enforcement Directorate carrying out searches at 21 locations in Karnataka and Ahmedabad under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The Bengaluru office of the ED carried out searches in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitment of Veterinary Officers through the Karnataka Public Service Commission, or KPSC, officials said.
The searches were carried out in Bengaluru, Hassan, Chitradurga, Davangere, Raichur, Karwar, Kalaburagi and Belagavi in Karnataka and one location in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, investigators said.
These include the KPSC office and residences and places linked to officials, candidates and alleged middlemen and examination-related entities.
The probe also covers the residence of suspended KPSC Chairman Shivashankarappa S Sahukar and KPSC member Shanta Hosmani, whose roles are being probed.
The ED also raided the office of Edutest Solutions, the agency that conducts digital evaluation of exam papers, as investigators probed the recruitment process and suspected financial transactions.
Veterinary Officer Recruitment Case Under Money Laundering Probe
The ED action came in the wake of registration of four FIRs in Bengaluru in connection with alleged irregularities in the final selection process of Veterinary Officers recruited through KPSC.
The allegations being investigated are that some middlemen approached the candidates, including the complainant, and asked for Rs 70 lakh to Rs 80 lakh to get them selected.
Part of the material being looked at in the investigation includes tapes that the complainant reportedly gave to law enforcement officers of his conversations with the alleged middlemen.
The case relates to allegations of a leak of examination papers and manipulation of OMR answer sheets in the recruitment and evaluation process, which the investigators are probing.
The probe also aims to find out if the recruitment process was tampered with in favor of relatives of KPSC officials, in violation of the sanctity of the selection process.
The searches do not, on their own, prove any criminal liability on the part of any individual or organization named in the case, and the allegations are still being investigated.
Also Read: CMRL Money Laundering Case: ED Conducts Searches at 8 Kerala Sites.
ED Examines Officials, Candidates And Examination Records
During the searches, investigators are understood to be looking for documentary and digital evidence around recruitment manipulation, alleged financial transactions and connections between people.
The trail of money suspected is the focus of the ED probe as the agency is looking at whether the alleged proceeds of recruitment-related wrongdoing were generated or transferred.
Investigators are also probing the involvement of those who conducted the examination, the digital evaluation, and the selection process to establish how the alleged irregularities took place.
That some of the locations searched include those of the selected Veterinary Officer candidates points to the investigators casting their net on both the beneficiaries of the recruitment and possible middlemen linked to the alleged scheme.
The case highlights continued scrutiny of competitive recruitment systems for Sprouts News, particularly where allegations involve examination security, evaluation procedures, financial demands and official influence.
What The Investigation Could Establish Next
The ED investigation is focused on the trail of money that is suspected to have been generated or transferred as alleged proceeds of recruitment-related wrongdoing.
The investigators are also looking into the roles of those who conducted the examination, the digital assessment, and the selection process to determine how the alleged irregularities happened.
That some of the locations being searched are those of the chosen Veterinary Officer candidates indicates that the investigators are casting their net on both the beneficiaries of the recruitment and potential middlemen linked to the alleged scheme.
The case underscores the ongoing scrutiny of competitive recruitment systems at Sprouts News, especially when allegations concern exam security, evaluation processes, financial requirements, and official influence.
