ED arrests suspended KPSC Chairman over Veterinary Officer exam bribe racket

This is a press release from the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bengaluru Zonal Office, detailing the arrest of the suspended KPSC Chairman and a KPSC Member for their involvement in a multi-crore bribe racket related to the Veterinary Officers’ Recruitment Examination. It matters to citizens as it outlines specific allegations of exam malpractice, including answer key leaks and misuse of confidential merit lists to extort money from candidates.

Who it concerns: The document concerns the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), the arrested officials (Shivashankarappa Sahukar, B V Geetha, Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, and Basavaraj Kannale), and the candidates who participated in the Veterinary Officers’ Recruitment Examination for 400 posts.

What the ED says it did

• Shivashankarappa Sahukar (suspended KPSC Chairman) and B V Geetha (KPSC Member) were arrested on 06/10/2026 under Section 19 of the PMLA, 2002, for generating and handling proceeds of crime.
• The ED alleges an organized mechanism for extortion involving the leakage of question papers, candidate-specific answer keys, and exploitation of the 1:3 merit list.
• B V Geetha is alleged to have collected Rs. 20 Lakhs in cash as an advance from one candidate out of an agreed Rs. 40 Lakhs bribe.
• Shivashankarappa Sahukar is alleged to have collected Rs. 10 Lakhs in cash as an advance from one candidate out of an agreed Rs. 20 Lakhs bribe.
• Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar (then Controller of Examinations) and Basavaraj Kannale were arrested earlier in September 2026 for leaking answer keys to 10 candidates who were taken to a resort to memorize them.
• The ED seized blank signed cheques amounting to Rs. 80 lakh and blank signed promissory notes from one successful candidate.
• The Special Court for PMLA cases granted 14 days' custody of Sahukar and Geetha to the ED for investigation.
• Bribe amounts demanded from candidates for assured selection ranged from Rs. 10 Lakh to Rs. 50 lakh depending on the post.

Also in the document

• The ED states that 6 candidates have been identified so far who secured higher scores in the final selection list, with further investigation ongoing to identify the complete list.
• Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar disclosed information regarding irregularities in various KPSC recruitment exams during his ED custody.
• The investigation is based on FIRs registered at Vidhana Soudha Police Station for offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.