The state government’s move came after a week‑long investigation that traced a web of money laundering and bribery around the Karnataka Public Service Commission’s veterinary officer recruitment drive.
Gangwar, a 2016 batch IAS officer of Karnataka cadre, served as the Controller of Examinations at KPSC from January 2024 until his suspension in March 2026. He was arrested on August 29, 2025, on charges that he leaked the question paper for the January 8‑9, 2026 exam, which covered 400 posts.
CID reports that the leaked paper was sold to at least ten aspirants, each paying between ₹20 lakh and ₹80 lakh. The money was funneled through middleman Basavaraj Kannale, who was arrested on August 30. Investigators found that Kannale used the proceeds to buy gold jewellery worth ₹54 lakh, pay ₹11 lakh for Gangwar’s airfare, and finance logistics for the candidates.
Both Gangwar and Kannale have been booked under Section 318(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and breach of trust, and under Section 10 of the Karnataka Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Corruption and Unfair Means of Recruitment) Act, 2023. The Enforcement Directorate is probing money‑laundering allegations, while a Bengaluru court has dismissed Gangwar’s bail plea on grounds of a proven money trail and the risk of evidence tampering.
Under Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, the government’s sanction paves the way for a formal chargesheet. The CID is slated to file the chargesheet by November 26, within 90 days of the first arrest, and the state is also considering steps to shut down the KPSC amid widespread irregularities.
The scandal has shaken the aspirations of hundreds of candidates who paid exorbitant sums for a chance at a government job, reminding the state of the urgent need to restore trust in public recruitment.