Karnataka permanently debars 52 aspirants booked in sub-inspector recruitment scam

In an order issued Tuesday, Kamal Pant, director-general of police (recruitment), said that a chargesheet had been filed against the 52 aspirants booked for forgery and malpractice. They have now been permanently debarred from appearing for recruitment examinations conducted by the police department.

Many of the accused are out on bail. Among them is Rudragouda Patil, who contested the Assembly elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket in Afzalpur but suffered a massive defeat. He is accused of helping aspirants with Bluetooth devices during the examination and rigging the allotment of examination centres in return for crores of rupees. Each aspirant paid Rs 40 lakh to Rs 60 lakh for a sub-inspector post.

More than 54,000 aspirants appeared for the examination held in October 2021 to fill 545 posts of police sub-inspectors. After the results were announced in January 2022, some of the aspirants alleged irregularities in the selection process. The case was handed over to the Crime Investigation Department, which arrested more than 100 people including ADGP-rank officer Amrit Paul, other police officers and aspirants.

The recruitment scam is also thought to have dented the BJP’s performance in the Assembly elections. In a recent cabinet meeting, the government contemplated ordering a judicial inquiry into the scam, with some ministers making the demand.

The Enforcement Directorate, which booked a money laundering case in connection with the scam in 2022, raided the houses of Patil, Paul and several other officers.