PSI recruitment scam a cobweb of Cops, mediators, candidates: Prosecutor

BENGALURU: Arguing that the PSI scam is nothing but a cobweb involving police officers, mediators and tainted selected candidates, the State Public Prosecutor on Wednesday submitted before the Karnataka High Court that the CCTV footages obtained by the CID revealed that the tainted candidates only attended 16-20 questions out of 100, but they have been selected by tampering with the OMR sheets as indicated by the Forensic Science Laboratory Report.

Revealing this before Justice H P Sandesh, who was hearing the bail pleas and a anticipatory plea of the accused, State Public Prosecutor (SPP) VS Hegde also submitted that Additional Director General of Police Amrit Paul, who is in judicial custody now, is not at all cooperating for the investigation and that is why his statement was not recorded. Hence, an application has been filed before the magistrate for narco analysis. His mobile phone was formatted and hence it has been sent to FSL which may spread more light on the scam, he argued.   

Pointing out that the Call Details Records (CDR) analysis exposed the nexus between the candidates, police officers, middlemen and money trial, the SPP said genuine candidates who have studied day and night suffered because of unscrupulous persons and hence the court has to deal them with an iron hand and ultimately send a strong message to society.

The voluntary statement of the accused revealed that they have paid Rs 85 lakh to Naveen Prasad, a police sub-inspector, who is absconding and has applied for anticipatory bail before this court and also to one manager Harsha and Head Constable Sridhar, attached to the recruitment section. Therefore, if bail is granted, it will affect further investigation, as the accused are none other than ADGP, DySP, Inspectors and mediators. Certainly they will come in the way of the investigation by destroying evidence. At this stage, they are not entitled for bail, he argued.

Assuring the court that investigation will be taken to the logical end and there will be no scope for lapses, the SPP submitted that there are black sheep, but that doesn’t mean the entire system is bad. “Certainly it is our duty to identify the black sheep and punish them. That is why investigation is being conducted scientifically,” he added.

Bail orders on Friday
After hearing the arguments of the counsels of the accused, the court reserved the judgment. The order will be dictated on July 22 or pronounced on the same day, the court added.