Bengaluru: Supreme Court has removed senior IPS officer Alok Kumar and Forensic Science Laboratory chief Divya Gopinath from the five-member special investigation team constituted by Karnataka high court to investigate alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) veterinary officers’ recruitment case.Hearing Cong govt’s petition against the HC’s Sept 21 order, the top court modified the order and allowed SIT to proceed with the probe, while sending the matter back to the high court.The apex court ordered Karnataka police chief DG&IGP MA Saleem to recommend names of two new members, including the SIT head, within 10 days. Later, high court will review its composition.The top court directed that SIT — and not Criminal Investigation Department — should file a chargesheet in the case. Also, it clarified that SIT will not conduct a fresh investigation as ordered by the HC. Instead, it directed SIT to take over from CID.Following petitions by affected candidates, HC had ordered a court-monitored probe by constituting a five-member SIT to investigate all irregularities within 100 days. Senior police officers Anup A Shetty, Kushal Chouksey, and Kshama Mishra are part of the probe team.Karnataka govt challenged the HC order, objecting to the specific appointment of Alok Kumar and highlighting a conflict of interest in naming Divya Gopinath, as FSL would analyse crucial digital and physical evidence.The KPSC ControversyThe KPSC recruitment faces allegations of a massive “cash-for-jobs” network involving paper leaks, illegal access to correct answer keys, and widespread manipulation of OMR answer sheets. Middlemen allegedly demanded ₹30-80 lakh per candidate.CID launched an extensive probe, arresting former KPSC examination controller and IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, along with middleman Basavaraj Kannale. Enforcement Directorate stepped in after money-laundering trails linked proceeds to gold purchases and real estate transactions. ED arrested two more accused — former KPSC chairperson Shivashankarappa Sahukar and member BV Geeta.DGP Alok Kumar Writes To CS, Seeks Correction In SC SubmissionDGP Alok Kumar (prisons and correctional services) has written to chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh, contesting submissions made by the state govt’s counsel before Supreme Court regarding his integrity and alleged involvement in past investigations.Kumar stated that submissions suggesting he was facing a CBI probe in a 2019 phone-tapping controversy were factually incorrect and contrary to official records. He stated that a proposal to launch disciplinary action was dropped after representations submitted by him in March 2023 were examined by the then chief minister.When a fresh show-cause notice and chargesheet were issued against him in May 2025, he approached the Central Administrative Tribunal and both the notice and the chargesheet were quashed in Oct 2025. Although the state challenged the CAT order in HC, Kumar noted that the HC declined to grant any interim stay, effectively leaving no departmental inquiry or charge pending against him.
