State challenges High Court SIT order

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has moved the Supreme Court against the High Court order directing a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the alleged Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) Veterinary Officers recruitment scam.

The High Court had constituted a five-member SIT under the leadership of Prisons Department DGP Alok Kumar and instructed the team to complete its probe within 100 days. The state government has now challenged the decision, questioning the need for a separate investigation when the CID is already probing the case. The government has told the Supreme Court that the CID has completed around 80 per cent of its investigation. Several arrests have been made during the probe, including that of IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar. Investigators have also collected documentary and other evidence and seized money linked to the investigation, according to the government.

One of the principal grounds raised by the state is that the High Court did not specify what shortcomings were found in the ongoing CID investigation. The government has questioned whether the formation of another investigation team was necessary without identifying deficiencies in the existing probe.

The state has further argued that the original petitioners had sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), whereas the High Court ordered the formation of an SIT instead.The government has also contended that information relating to the CID investigation carried out after August 24 was not considered while passing the SIT order.

Based on these grounds, the Karnataka government has urged the Supreme Court to quash the High Court’s order and permit the CID to continue its investigation into the recruitment case.