Judicial Commission submits report to CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: The one-man judicial commission led by retired High Court Justice B Veerappa concluded its six-month investigation into the Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) recruitment scam. The comprehensive report was officially submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday, marking a crucial milestone in the examination of alleged irregularities surrounding the PSI recruitment process.

Established by the state government in July of the previous year, Justice B Veerappa was tasked with probing the PSI recruitment scam and delivering a conclusive report within a three-month timeframe. Subsequently, the commission’s deadline was extended for an additional three months to ensure a thorough examination of the matter. Throughout the inquiry, Justice Veerappa diligently recorded statements from various individuals linked to the case. Furthermore, he reached out to several political figures who had previously commented on the issue, urging them to provide any evidence pertinent to the investigation. The genesis of the alleged PSI Scam can be traced back to the exams conducted by the then BJP-led government on October 3, 2021, for the recruitment of 545 PSIs. Spanning 92 examination centres across the state, the exams saw the participation of 54,289 candidates.

However, following the announcement of the results, allegations of irregularities surfaced, prompting the BJP government to hand over the case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). During the subsequent investigations, the Congress party asserted the involvement of several BJP leaders in the scam, a claim vehemently denied by BJP. The CID, acting on its mandate, arrested 110 individuals in connection with the case, including 52 candidates who had participated in the exam. Notably, senior IPS officer Amrit Paul, responsible for overseeing the recruitment process, also faced arrest.

In response to the allegations and to address the integrity of the recruitment process, the previous BJP government nullified the conducted exams and mandated the organisation of fresh examinations. This decision, however, faced legal challenges, with several petitions filed in the High Court contesting the government’s order.

Despite the legal hurdles, the High Court affirmed the government’s prerogative to conduct a re-examination, validating the necessity for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged irregularities.

The submission of Justice B Veerappa’s report now sets the stage for potential administrative and legal actions in response to the findings.