The Enforcement Directorate carried out searches on Tuesday at 21 locations in Karnataka and Ahmedabad as part of a money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Veterinary Officers by the Karnataka Public Service Commission. The Bengaluru office of the ED performed the operations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act at the KPSC premises, the home of suspended chairman Shivashankarappa S Sahukar, a commission member, suspected intermediaries, selected candidates and the premises of the digital evaluation agency. The locations included Bengaluru, Hassan, Chitradurga, Davangere, Raichur, Karwar, Kalaburagi and Belagavi along with Ahmedabad. The action follows four police complaints filed in Bengaluru that cite serious flaws in the final selection process. Allegations include middlemen demanding bribes of 70 to 80 lakh rupees from candidates and possible leakage of examination papers along with tampering of answer sheets. The ED is reviewing the involvement of various individuals and seeking evidence of financial transactions and manipulation in the recruitment.
