Probe into PSI recruitment scam transparent: HM Araga Jnanendra
Bengaluru, Sep 20: The Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Tuesday told the State Assembly that the inquiry by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) into the police sub-inspector recruitment scam is transparent and that the High Court has appreciated the way the probe was conducted.
The Opposition Congress has been demanding a judicial probe into the scam by a sitting High Court judge.
The CID is conducting an inquiry in a transparent manner. A total of 97 people has been arrested and they include 48 candidates and 26 policemen, Jnanendra told the Karnataka Assembly amid a din with Congress MLAs trooping into the well of the House.
The CID is conducting the inquiry properly. Since the matter is sub judice, I will not share more details. There is nothing suspicious in the investigation as has been stated by the Opposition, he said.
The Home Minister was replying during the discussion on the PSI recruitment scam.
He said the money to the tune of Rs 8 crore deposited in the banks and mutual funds has been frozen and 506 gm of gold seized.
The money deposited by R D Patil, the kingpin of the act of using a bluetooth device in the scam, and his aides have been seized. Patil is involved in all the eight cases, Jnanendra told the House.
According to him, the suspended Additional Director General of Police Amrit Paul, who was later arrested by the CID, had kept Rs 41 lakh with Shambhu Lingaiah.
This amount was collected from the candidates, he said.
Another accused Sridhar had kept Rs 1.71 crore with his wife and 70 lakh with his another relative Naveen, Janendra said.
The Home Minister apprised the House that the government wanted ADGP Paul to undergo la ie detection test but he did not agree to it.
The Opposition was not content with these replies and continued raising slogans demanding the judicial probe.
The Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah who started the discussion said he Kalaburagi city BJP Mahila Morcha president Divya Hagaragi was arrested in this connection.
Despite objection from certain quarters, her Jnana Jyothi School in Kalaburagi was one of the centres where the illegalities took place, Siddaramaiah stated.
He alleged that the government was in denial from the beginning even when the State Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan wrote to the government on February 5, 2022 pointing to large-scale irregularities in the PSI recruitment.
The former chief minister said the Vijayapura BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal too had alleged widespread corruption in the PSI recruitment and had even suspected the involvement for a former chief minister and his son.
Further, Siddaramaiah said BJP MLA Basavaraj Dhadesugur's audio in which a conversation on the exchange of Rs 15 lakh took place with a candidate's father Parasappa.
Prabhu Chavan, Yatnal, Dhadesugur and Parasappa must also be investigated. You issue notice to our Congress MLA Priyank Kharge and not to these people, the Congress leader sought to know.
Kharge was served notice for holding a press conference in Kalaburagi regarding this case.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy defended serving notices to Kharge saying that the Congress MLA should explain how did he get the audio-clip which he played in the press conference.
You were in possession of evidences. That means you have colluded. You made a business, the Minister charged.
The Congressmen then trooped in the well of the House for accusing their member and also demanding a judicial probe into the matter.
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Three National Conference workers injured in stabbing incident at poll rally in JK's Poonch
Mendhar/Jammu, May 19: Three National Conference (NC) workers were injured when unidentified persons attacked them with knives at an election rally in Mendhar in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Sunday, officials said.
NC president Farooq Abdullah was present at the rally organised by the party in support of its Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat candidate Mian Altaf in Mendhar. The rally continued without any disruption.
Officials said there was a clash between two groups over some issue during the rally. Taking advantage of the melee, the attackers managed to escape, the officials said.
Police have registered a case in connection with the incident and are trying to nab the culprits, they said.
Sohail Ahmad and Yaseer Ahmad, both residents of Harni, and Mohd Imran of Kasblari village, received stab injuries and were taken to a local hospital, the officials said.
They said the condition of Sohail and Yaseer was stated to be serious and they were referred to Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital, Rajouri for specialised treatment, they added.
Senior NC leader Javed Ahmad Rana termed the incident a "security lapse" and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.
He said it is very strange that people carrying knives managed to enter the rally venue.
"It is a serious incident and should be probed," said Rana.
Some days ago, one of the injured youth's brothers was attacked by the same group and an FIR was registered against the accused, said the NC leader, who rushed to the hospital to inquire about the condition of the injured.
