KPSC Veterinary Officer Recruitment Probe: Karnataka HC appoints R Hitendra as SIT chief

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Monday appointed senior IPS officer R Hitendra as the head of the SIT probing alleged irregularities in the recruitment of veterinary officers conducted by the KPSC. A single-judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna, sitting at the Dharwad bench, modified its earlier order and reconstituted the SIT, appointing Hitendra, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, in place of ADGP Alok Kumar.

The court also appointed ADGP (Police Administration) Somendu Mukherjee as a member of the SIT, replacing Inspector General of Police and Director of the State Forensic Science Laboratory, Dr Divya Gopinathan. The remaining members - Deputy Commissioner of Police Anoop Shetty, Superintendent of Police Kushal Chouksey and Deputy Commissioner of Police Shama Mishra - will continue in the team.

The revised order follows directions from the Supreme Court, which had asked for a change in the SIT leadership and replacement of one of its members. On September 21, the Karnataka High Court had ordered the constitution of a five-member SIT headed by Alok Kumar to investigate the alleged irregularities. The state government subsequently challenged the order before the Supreme Court.

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The apex court allowed the state government to suggest alternative officers for replacing the SIT chief and another member. Following the Supreme Court's directions, the state government submitted the names of four officers to the High Court, recommending two of them for inclusion in the SIT. The government also informed the court that the SIT had been accorded the status of a police station.

The High Court directed that the SIT must conduct an independent and credible investigation into the alleged recruitment irregularities. It further directed the state government to appoint personnel recommended by the SIT and provide all necessary infrastructure and resources for the investigation.

The court also made it clear that officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) who were earlier involved in the investigation should not be retained in the SIT. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the SIT should work in coordination and complement each other's efforts in the investigation, the court said. The case pertains to allegations of irregularities in the recruitment of 400 veterinary officers.