കെപിഎസ്സി നിയമന ക്രമക്കേട്: അന്വേഷണത്തിനായി പ്രത്യേക അന്വേഷണ സംഘത്തെ (SIT) നിയോഗിച്ചു

BENGALURU: In compliance with the September 21 directions of the Karnataka High Court, the state government has constituted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate two highly controversial crimes registered relating to the alleged irregularities in the appointment by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC).

In the meantime, on the last date of hearing, the state government submitted a list of four ADGP-rank officers such as R Hithendra, B K Singh, S Murugan and Soumendu Mukherjee in a sealed cover to the high court to be in replacement of Alok Kumar, the chief of the SIT, and the second name in the SIT, Divya Gopinath, as alternative names as directed by the Supreme Court.

Petitioner Basavanagouda Patil Yatnal's counsel, who was before the high court with a prayer to hand over the case to the CBI, filed the objections in a sealed cover to the court in relation to the four names submitted by the state government.

The court asked the Advocate General how many ADGP-rank officers are there in the state, to which he replied that 16. The court adjourned the hearing to Monday.

.SC upholds setting up of SIT

Challenging the September 21 order of the high court, which also directed the CID and Vidhana Soudha police to hand over all the details of the investigation done so far to the SIT, the state government had filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court stating the investigation was nearing completion in both the cases and there were no specific allegations against the investigating agency warranting transfer of the investigation of those cases.

The state also raised objections to the high court's order to conduct a de novo investigation, saying it is not necessary where there were no allegations against the investigating agency. The state also objected to some of the members of the SIT constituted by the high court.

The Supreme Court did not interfere with the constitution of the SIT by the HC. "We may observe that having regard to the seriousness of the allegations and possibility of involvement of functionaries in the KPSC, the case requires investigation by an SIT comprising high ranking officers; therefore, we do not find a good reason to interfere with the impugned order insofar as it directs investigation by an SIT," the SC observed.

The SC, however, said the direction to conduct a de novo investigation was neither warranted nor justified and hence a direction of the high court to that effect was set aside by it and directed the SIT to conduct further investigation.

The SC stated that the state has provided certain material wherein the appellant has shown reasons to have certain reservations about the person who has been appointed head of the SIT and, therefore, they have requested a change in that regard. There are also reservations about the Director, Forensic Science Laboratory of the state, being part of the SIT as, according to the state, at some stage, there may be a conflict of interest because the materials collected during investigation may have to undergo forensic analysis; the SC said, directing the state to submit alternative names to the high court.