IAS officer arrested in KPSC exam irregularities case

BENGALURU: CID officials arrested IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar over alleged irregularities in the KPSC recruitment examination for veterinary officers, official sources said on Sunday. He was subsequently produced before a First Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate at the judge's residence and was remanded to judicial custody.

He was later taken to Parappana Agrahara prison, they added. The judge directed that Gangwar be produced before the open court on Monday, when the CID is likely to seek his custody, sources said.

The development came after CID officials questioned Gangwar on Friday and Saturday after he appeared before the investigating officer in response to a notice issued to him.

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KPSC exam controversy

According to official sources, Gangwar was being questioned in connection with his tenure as Controller of Examinations at the Karnataka Public Service Commission from February 2024 to March 2026. He was taken into custody for allegedly not cooperating with the investigation, they said.

Gangwar, a 2016-batch IAS officer, currently serves as Director of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the Department of Industries and Commerce. The CID is probing alleged irregularities in the recruitment examination, including the handling of examination records and OMR sheets, as well as the role of officials and others involved.

The officer's whereabouts had recently triggered controversy following searches by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged irregularities at the KPSC.

State Home Minister Priyank Kharge subsequently said Gangwar had informed him that he had gone to his native place in Uttar Pradesh, citing a family emergency involving his father's health. The ED subsequently conducted searches at the officer's premises. According to officials, the CID and ED are conducting separate investigations into the alleged KPSC-related irregularities.