The Karnataka government has decided to challenge the Karnataka High Court order that directed a Special Investigation Team to conduct a fresh investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Veterinary Officers through the Karnataka Public Service Commission.
The government has questioned the need for a separate investigation when the Criminal Investigation Department is already examining the case. According to the state, the CID investigation has made substantial progress, with arrests, collection of evidence and examination of the alleged money trail already carried out.
The legal challenge follows the High Court order of September 21, under which a five member SIT headed by senior IPS officer Alok Kumar was constituted. The court directed the new team to conduct a fresh investigation and complete it within 100 days, while also requiring regular progress reports.
The state government has approved the filing of a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court against the High Court decision. Reports said the Law Department and Prosecution Department cleared the proposal to challenge the order.
Why the government is challenging the SIT order is now at the centre of the legal dispute. One of the main arguments is that the original petitioners had sought a CBI investigation, while the High Court instead decided to create an SIT. The government has also questioned the decision to specify the officers who should conduct the investigation.
Another issue raised by the state concerns the ongoing CID probe. The government has maintained that the investigation had already progressed considerably and that the High Court did not adequately explain what specific shortcomings existed in the CID investigation.
The government has also objected to the timing of the High Court decision. According to the states argument, information about the progress made by the CID after the court received an earlier investigation report should have been considered before directing a fresh probe.
The High Court, however, took a different view of the investigation. It directed the SIT to undertake a fresh examination of the allegations concerning the recruitment of 400 Veterinary Officers and ordered the CID to hand over its records and other investigation material to the new team.
The case involves allegations of question paper leakage, payments for securing appointments, involvement of intermediaries and manipulation of examination records. These allegations remain subject to investigation and legal proceedings and should not be treated as established guilt against every person named in connection with the case.
The CID investigation has already produced several developments. Recent reports said investigators had traced a substantial financial trail and were examining allegations that examination questions were shared with selected candidates before the test. The investigation has also involved questioning candidates and examining financial transactions.
An IAS officer who had served as the KPSC examination controller has also been arrested in connection with the case. The Enforcement Directorate has separately examined the suspected financial transactions linked to the alleged recruitment irregularities.
The High Court had declined to transfer the investigation to the CBI. Instead, it chose to create a separate SIT under the leadership of Alok Kumar, with four other senior police officers as members. The team was instructed to follow the evidence wherever it leads and coordinate with the Enforcement Directorate where necessary.
The government has questioned this arrangement while maintaining that the existing CID investigation was already progressing. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had also publicly questioned the High Court decision to specify the officers who should lead the SIT, saying the selection of investigating officers should ordinarily remain with the executive.
The issue has also triggered a political exchange. Union Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy has criticised the governments decision to challenge the SIT arrangement. He has alleged that the government is trying to avoid a stronger investigation into the recruitment controversy. These are political allegations and have not been established as findings of the court.
The controversy is significant because the recruitment process concerns government posts and allegations that candidates may have gained an unfair advantage through leaked examination material and payments. The High Court has stressed the importance of maintaining fairness and equal opportunity in public recruitment.
For now, the dispute has moved beyond the question of how the recruitment allegations should be investigated and into a separate legal question about which investigating arrangement should continue. The Supreme Court will have to consider the governments challenge to the High Court order and the arguments surrounding the existing CID investigation.
The KPSC recruitment case itself remains under investigation. The allegations, arrests and financial evidence being examined by investigators will ultimately have to be assessed through the legal process. The latest Supreme Court challenge adds another layer to an already closely watched recruitment controversy in Karnataka.
