In the backdrop of the PSI recruitment scam that has also set off political ripples, the State Government on Wednesday shunted out Additional Director-General of Police (Recruitment), Amrit Paul. In his place R. Hithendra, ADGP, Crime and Technical Services, has been given concurrent charge of the post.
Mr. Paul has been transferred to head the Internal Security division, while Arun J. Chakravarthy has been transferred out of that post.
The Opposition Congress had come down on ruling party over the recruitment scam, blaming the Home Minister, and demanded that the head of recruitment, along with Home Minister, resign.
Last week, CID officials visited the recruitment office and verified the documents pertaining to the recruitment.
With the transfer of the head of the recruitment department, the CID will be questioning officials, including section supervisors , in charge of exam centres and security in-charges in connection with the case.
The CID has thus far arrested 16 people in connection with the examination scam, including Rudragowda Patil and his younger brother Mahantesh Patil, who were associated with the Congress, and two policemen.
Six people, including Divya Hagaragi, BJP leader and chairperson of Gyan Jyoti English Medium School where the exam malpractices were reported, Kashinath, principal of the school, and teachers Archana and Shanti Bai are absconding. A local court has issued arrest warrants against them after their plea for anticipatory bail was rejected.
The scam had come to light after it was found that a candidate named Veeresh, who had scored 100 in one paper, had attempted very few questions. He had left the OMR sheet empty, apparently to be filled by invigilators.
Questioned
The Malleswaram police investigating the assistant professor exam scam on Wednesday questioned the Registrar (Evaluation ) of Karnatak University, Dharwad, who is allegedly linked to the prime accused, Soumya. Dr. H. Nagaraja had set the Geography question paper for the exam, which was leaked an hour before the exam was held on March 14.
The police suspect that the questions Soumya had before the exam on her mobile phone was sourced from him.
Meanwhile, the police took Soumya to her house in Mysuru for investigation. Soumya, working as a guest lecturer in Mysuru, had shared the questions with her friends on WhatsApp. The police have also detained a relative of Dr. Nagaraja for allegedly forwarding the questions to Soumya from her phone.