Startling operational details have surfaced in the ongoing investigation into Karnataka’s recruitment fraud. State investigators discovered that racketeers leased luxury private villas to execute a high-stakes exam paper leak. The racket was uncovered during an intensive inquiry conducted by the Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department and the Enforcement Directorate. At least 20 job aspirants were transported to secluded retreats on the northern fringes of Bengaluru on the eve of the test. Inside these secure compounds, candidates received printed copies of official question papers hours before the examination commenced. The revelations underscore how deeply organised middlemen and compromised officials coordinated to monetize public recruitment in the state.

Gated Compounds Used as Secret Coaching Camps

The physical operation took place across multiple rented residences situated in a gated enclave near Devanahalli. Middlemen chose this distant location to evade local police intelligence and surveillance cameras. The aspirants were gathered from different districts and brought directly to the estate in private vehicles. Once inside, handlers confiscated their mobile devices to maintain complete secrecy. Handlers then distributed printed sheets containing between 60 and 80 actual questions slated for the veterinary officers recruitment test. Tutors were reportedly stationed inside the properties to assist candidates in memorising the correct answer keys overnight. Reporting from The Hindu confirmed that candidates were thoroughly drilled before being transported directly to their respective examination centres early the next morning.

Official Complicity and the High-Level Syndicate

The probe has established direct links connecting candidates to high-ranking administrative personnel. Investigators identified key intermediary Basavaraj Kannale as the primary broker linking aspirants with decision-makers. The paper trail led detectives to former Karnataka Public Service Commission Controller of Examinations Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar. Additional properties linked to the officer’s relatives were also brought under scrutiny during coordinated raids across Bengaluru. Details reported by The Indian Express revealed that an apartment belonging to the bureaucrat’s brother was also utilized during the planning phases. The Enforcement Directorate subsequently intervened under money laundering provisions after establishing that substantial kickbacks were transferred to secure the master question set.

Extensive Money Trail and Frozen Bank Balances

Financial forensics have revealed massive monetary transactions channelled through cooperative banking institutions. Aspiring candidates allegedly paid fees ranging between several lakh rupees to guarantee top ranks on the final merit list. The state CID traced deposits exceeding ₹92 lakh scattered across multiple accounts in Belagavi and Bengaluru. According to coverage in The New Indian Express, detectives moved swiftly to freeze operational accounts holding over ₹1.4 crore in suspicious funds. Significant cash reserves and incriminating digital communications were also seized from intermediaries during search operations. Forensic laboratories are currently extracting deleted chat logs from seized mobile handsets to map out other beneficiaries.

The emerging evidence has triggered intense scrutiny over past recruitment cycles conducted under the same examination wing. Over 40 candidates have undergone formal interrogation, with 29 individuals already designated as formal accused in the first information report. Genuine candidates who took the test have organized protests demanding the outright cancellation of the corrupted selection list. State authorities have assured strict punitive action against all administrative personnel involved in compromising recruitment integrity. With the Enforcement Directorate expanding its asset-tracing operations, further arrests of senior intermediaries and departmental beneficiaries are expected over the coming days.

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