Karnataka High Court Orders SIT Probe Headed by DGP Alok Kumar into KPSC Recruitment Scam

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday ordered the constitution of a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to undertake a fresh, de novo investigation into the alleged Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) recruitment scam involving 400 Veterinary Officer (Group A) posts. The single-judge bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order while hearing a batch of petitions filed by MLA Basanagouda R. Patil Yatnal, the All-Karnataka State Students Association, and several candidates who alleged widespread corruption and irregularities in the recruitment process. The court appointed senior IPS officer and Director General of Police (Prisons) Alok Kumar to head the SIT, which also includes IPS officers Divya V. Gopinath, Anoop A. Shetty, Kushal Chouksey, and Kshama Mishra. Declining to transfer the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the bench noted that existing police and CID investigations were insufficient, necessitating an independent high-level team. The SIT has been granted 100 days to complete its investigation and submit a report, while also being directed to cooperate with the Enforcement Directorate, which is conducting a parallel probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.