Bengaluru: With the 90-day deadline to file a chargesheet nearing, the high-profile Karnataka Public Service Commission scam probe will be keenly watched for the next 30 days as investigations have been handled by two different agencies until now.While probe was initially handled by Criminal Investigation Department (CID), its future now hinges on the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) mandated by Karnataka high court and modified by Supreme Court. The moot question is: Which agency will file the chargesheet?Suspended IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar was taken into custody on the night of Aug 29. Under criminal procedure, if a comprehensive chargesheet is not filed within 90 days of an arrest, the accused becomes eligible for default bail.The accused duo — Gyanendra and his alleged aide Basavaraj Kannale — are in judicial custody. A lower court rejected their bail petitions. However, high court had granted a six-day interim bail to Kannale to visit his newborn girl child.Supreme Court recently modified HC’s directive, which had unilaterally handpicked specific officers to lead a de novo (fresh) investigation. Expressing concern over a completely fresh probe, the apex court noted that discarding past work could jeopardise crucial evidence already gathered by state CID.According to a senior police officer, the proposed names for the SIT chief have been sent to high court. The probe could hit further delays if the newly recommended names are challenged in court.
