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The recruitment exam controversy surrounding the Karnataka Public Service Commission has taken a critical legal turn, as commission member BV Geetha approached the court seeking protection from arrest ahead of an investigation by a special investigation team. Geetha, viewed as a primary accused in the suspected exam manipulation, is currently in judicial custody following her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on October 6 alongside suspended commission chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar. The matter centers on allegations of leaking confidential question papers and answer keys to select candidates in exchange for illegal financial payoffs during a state recruitment drive for veterinary doctors.
High Court orders fresh SIT probe
The legal pressure on the accused intensified after the Karnataka High Court ordered the formation of a special investigation team on November 3. The newly established team is slated to examine the full scope of irregularities across the recruitment exercise, operating alongside the ongoing financial inquiry conducted by the Enforcement Directorate. Sensing immediate custodial interrogation by state investigators, Geetha moved to secure legal safeguards prior to the formal commencement of the team’s operational proceedings.
The High Court’s intervention broadens the oversight of the case significantly, directing investigative scrutiny toward the institutional failures that allowed sensitive evaluation materials to slip into private hands. While the central financial agency continues to track the money trail and alleged money laundering activities, the special team will focus on administrative misconduct, procedural compromises, and the criminal conspiracy behind the leak of official answer keys.
Allegations of answer key leaks for bribes
According to the allegations pursued by the Enforcement Directorate, Geetha and suspended chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar collected illicit funds from nine candidates appearing for the competitive test. In return for these monetary sums, the candidates were allegedly provided with advance access to the examination answer keys, giving them an unfair advantage over other test-takers. Investigators have focused on untangling the transactions linked to this extortion and establishing how the generated proceeds were moved and concealed.
The contentious written examinations were held earlier this year on January 8 and 9, organized by the commission to fill 400 government vacancies for veterinary doctors across Karnataka. The subsequent emergence of leaked question papers and official answer keys severely compromised the integrity of the selection process, raising widespread doubts regarding the fairness of the entire testing procedure. Beyond the immediate cash transactions, authorities are examining the severe abuse of constitutional authority and official positions by individuals entrusted with maintaining the confidentiality of government recruitment materials.
Scrutiny under anti-corruption statutes
Legal experts and investigators indicate that the unfolding findings may soon warrant the application of stringent provisions under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The allegations directly implicate serving public servants in accepting bribes and abusing their official standing to compromise a competitive state exam. If forensic findings confirm that public office was systematically exploited to subvert appointments for personal enrichment, formal prosecutions under anti-corruption laws will likely follow against all involved officials.
For now, Geetha’s plea for interim protection from arrest and the impending operational phase of the court-appointed probe remain the central focus of the case. With both senior commission figures already detained under money laundering charges, the coming weeks are set to clarify the extent to which official administrative machinery was manipulated during the recruitment of the 400 medical posts.
