Karnataka High Court may refer AEE selection probe to CBI

The High Court of Karnataka is considering asking the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to look into alleged fraud in the selection process for 24 Assistant Executive Engineer positions. The court informed the State government and the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) that they may submit their views on the matter. A division bench, led by Justice Krishna S. Dixit and Justice Ramachandra D. Huddar, is hearing petitions from 10 candidates who were selected for the positions. The judges acknowledged the government's efforts to improve the public recruitment system and recent reforms to the KPSC. However, they noted that documents reviewed showed possible misconduct from certain officials involved in the recruitment process. The court raised concerns about why the government issued appointment letters to selected candidates on June 25, 2024, despite KPSC requesting to pause the process. They also questioned why no criminal complaints were filed, despite evidence of possible fraud involving the manipulation of exam answer sheets, even after the government's approval to investigate further. The court is set to make a decision on whether to proceed with the CBI investigation after reviewing responses from the State government and KPSC.