Recruitment Scam: Karnataka Suspends IAS Officer Gyanendra Gangwar after CID Arrest, ED Scrutiny

Bengaluru: The state government on Thursday placed 2016-batch IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar under suspension following his arrest by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over alleged irregularities in recruitment exams conducted by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC).

Gangwar, currently serving as Director of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), previously held the post of Controller of Examinations at the commission.

According to a notification, the government noted the officer had remained in official custody for more than 48 hours. The move follows formal communications from both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CID.


The ED, which carried out search-and-seizure operations under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), indicated that seized material pointed to widespread corruption in KPSC recruitment processes, directly implicating Gangwar.

The case stems from a complaint filed at Bengaluru’s Vidhana Soudha Police Station regarding the recruitment of 400 veterinary officers. The complaint alleged extensive exam malpractices, including tampering with OMR sheets in exchange for bribes. Gangwar was booked under Section 318(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 10 of the Karnataka Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Corruption and Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act, 2023.

The CID arrested Gangwar on August 29 after he appeared for questioning. He was remanded to judicial custody on August 30 and subsequently taken into police custody the following day.

Both the ED and CID are widening their probe into multiple individuals, including suspended KPSC Chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar, whose premises were also searched. Sahukar appeared before the CID on Thursday pursuant to summons.