KPSC jobs racket: ED to probe Sahukar’s receipt of Rs 4 crores in cash in four months

Suspended KPSC chairman Sahukar Shivashankarappa. (Photo enhanced using AI)

An Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation into the KPSC jobs racket has revealed that an associate of suspended chairman Shivashankarappa S Sahukar received over Rs 4 crore in cash between August and December 2025, which was subsequently transferred to Sahukar in batches.

The agency informed a special court on Monday that it had searched the residence of Dayananda, also a Commission employee, and uncovered sheets of paper detailing accounts of cash transactions to Sahukar.

It presented the finding of notes regarding the collection of Rs 99.76 lakh in cash on a monthly basis from August to December 2025 by the associate and the records of subsequent transfer of funds in installments to the now-arrested KPSC chairman as grounds for further investigations against Sahukar.

“The searches conducted at the house of a staff member associated with the accused (KPSC chairman Sahukar) revealed notes of funds collected and distributed. Between August to December 2025, over Rs 4 crore was collected,” the counsel for ED told the court.

It also pointed out that the source of the Rs 4 crore of funds in cash had not been revealed as yet and that the arrested KPSC chairman had denied the cash dealings indicated by the associate. “This needs to be investigated,” the ED counsel said.

The agency also revealed that the associate had introduced the chairman to candidates who were willing to pay for jobs through the KPSC, with one candidate allegedly paying Rs 1.25 crore for recruitment into the Karnataka Administrative Services and another paying Rs 30 to be recruited as an assistant engineer in a government department.

Following this, the special court remanded Sahukar and KPSC member B V Geetha in judicial custody till October 25. An interim bail plea on medical grounds by Sahukar was rejected, while an interim bail plea by Geetha was posted for hearing on Friday along with a bail hearing for the suspended chairman.

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The ED probe has found that the members of KPSC were leaking answer keys for as many as 13 exams in exchange for bribes during the tenure of the now-arrested Controller of Exams Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar.

As per the agency, Sahukar and Geetha leaked answer keys to as many as six to nine candidates appearing for the KSPC veterinary officers’ recruitment exam held in January this year.