Senior IPS officer Amrit Paul arrested in multi-crore recruitment scam

In an unprecedented development, Amrit Paul, an IPS officer with the rank of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), was arrested in Bengaluru on Monday (July 4) in connection with the Police Sub-Inspectors (PSI) recruitment scam case.

He was arrested based on forensic evidence of tampering with Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets of the PSI exams held last year.

After questioning, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) took Paul to Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru for medical examination before being taken to the court.

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Paul was transferred from the post after the PSI scam broke out. He faced allegations of corruption to the tune of crores of rupees and was replaced by Bengaluru’s former Commissioner of Police Kamal Pant.

The CID arrested Paul after questioning him four times about the scam and searched the office in CID for clues before arresting Dy SP Shanthkumar and the staff involved in the scam.

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The case broke out after the arrest of the first-rank holder of the exam, Kushal Kumar J in June. The CID officials have so far arrested over 60 persons, who are linked to middlemen, politicians, and officials to get the OMR sheets filled up after submission.

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said it was “shameful” that a senior police officer was arrested and assured stern action against those involved in the scam.

Paul has been arrested based on specific evidence. The government has empowered the CID to investigate this case and has taken this issue seriously.

At the same time, the Congress party has sought a judicial probe against this case as the CID has arrested a top IPS official.

 Other Major arrests in the scam: 

• Kushal Kumar J, the first-rank holder in the exam
• Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Shantha Kumar, served in the recruitment division for 12 years. He was in charge of the strong room where the answer sheets were kept. About 20 exam centres were under his supervision
• Sub-Inspector Harish K (2019 batch SI), for allegedly linking candidates and scamsters
• Divya Hagaragi, former president of the BJP’s Kalaburagi district women’s unit and the owner of the Jnana Jyothi English School in Kalaburagi, along with Archana S and Sunanda S, exam invigilators at Hagaragi’s school.
• Mahanthesh Patil, former Afzalpur Congress block president, who had alleged links with the accused

How did they do it?

DySP Shantha Kumar and his sub-inspectors were allegedly allowed to get the password of the kit box from the ADGP, where the OMR sheets were kept. Also, they allegedly got the key from ADGP Amrit Paul’s room. After ADGP completed his day’s work, the two sub-inspectors entered the strong room and filled the OMR sheets. The accused also allegedly switched off CCTV in the whole building.

Opposition leader of the State Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah, KPCC president DK Shivakumar and others started demanding the resignation of Home Minister Araga Jnanendra. However, the Home Minister in an emergency press briefing on Monday evening and said that there is no question of resignation. The government has given freedom for the CID probe and arrested the senior officer.