Senior IPS officer Amrit Paul arrested in Karnataka PSI recruitment scam

Amrit Paul, a senior IPS officer and former chief of police recruitment, was arrested on Monday by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the alleged multi-crore police sub inspector (PSI) recruitment scam. He was sent to Victoria Hospital for medical evaluation shortly after his arrest and later produced before a judge, which remanded him to police custody for 10 days for custodial interrogation.

According to sources, Paul's arrest was aided by a confessional statement made by former DSP Shantha Kumar, who had already been arrested by the CID in the case under Section 164 CrPC. Kumar was the man in charge of the reportedly rigged strongroom.

"The CID had acquired enough evidence, including digital proof, which led to the arrest of the top IPS officer," sources added. Following a letter from the DGP, CID, to the Chief Secretary informing him of Paul's detention, the State government suspended Paul under the All India Services (Discipline & Appeals) Rule, 1969.

As per the rule, any member of the Service who is detained in official custody whether on a criminal charge or otherwise for a period longer than 48 hours, shall be deemed to have been suspended by the government concerned. 

Paul came under scrutiny during a recruitment scam in which 30 or so people were selected for high positions by engaging in unethical behavior, such as altering the OMFR sheets, after working together with middlemen and some police officers in charge of recruitment.

The recruitment examination in October 2021 for appointment of 545 sub-inspectors was attended by 54,000 candidates in 93 centres across the states and the results were announced in January this year.

This is the first time in the history of Indian Police Service  (IPS), Karnataka cadre that an ADGP rank officer has been arrested. His arrest sent shock waves across the top bureaucracy in the State.