[REVISION HISTORY]

KPSC veterinary recruitment scandal escalates

Updated 6 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-19 08:10 UTC → 2026-08-23 15:00 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Following the July 2026 complaints by more than 50 veterinary candidates alleging an Rs 80 lakh bribery ring in the Karnataka Public Service Commission’s recruitment of 400 veterinary officers, the scandal deepened. A fresh FIR lodged on 26 July at Vidhana Soudha Police Station charged former KPSC chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar with favouritism, manipulation of OMR answer sheets and receipt of payments, citing a viral audio clip. The case was registered under cheating provisions of the Karnataka Examinations Act. State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra and Minister Priyank Kharge again called for a thorough probe and reforms to restore confidence. On 28 July, students, the All Karnataka State Students Association and BJP leaders staged a dharna at Freedom Park, Bengaluru, demanding action. Two FIRs were transferred to the CID: one tied to the audio-clip demand for Rs 80 lakh, leading to the arrest of two suspected middlemen; a second, filed by aspirant Manjunath, alleged question-paper leaks and OMR-sheet tampering, naming the suspended chairman and other officials. Home Minister Kharge pledged a comprehensive CID investigation, while the BJP announced continued agitation and plans to raise the issue in the upcoming legislative session. On 18 August, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) expanded the investigation by conducting search operations at 21 locations across Karnataka and Ahmedabad under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The raids targeted the KPSC office, the residence of suspended chairman Shivashankarappa S. Sahukar, KPSC member Shanta Hosmani, various alleged middlemen, and the offices of Edutest Solutions Pvt. Ltd., the firm responsible for digital evaluation of exam papers. The searches spanned several cities, including Bengaluru, Hassan, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Raichur, Karwar, Kalaburagi, and Belagavi, as well as Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Concurrently, the Karnataka High Court quashed the suspension of Sahukar, ordering his reinstatement within seven days.

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