‘Stay issued on 70 RTO inspector posts’

CH NEWS, BENGALURU Integrity in state public examinations faced renewed scrutiny as the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) officially placed an administrative stay on the additional selection list for 70 Motor Vehicle Inspector (RTO Inspector) positions. The decisive regulatory intervention follows a series of explosive investigative reports highlighting systematic corruption, illicit financial transactions, and high-level job racketeering within public recruitment channels. The unfolding scandal gained momentum after extensive media investigations into parallel irregularities surrounding the recruitment of Veterinary Officers exposed a wider, deeply entrenched syndicate manipulating civil service selections. Subsequent inquiries led by law enforcement and financial oversight agencies uncovered that lucrative government posts were being openly bartered for exorbitant sums, with individual deals for RTO Inspector slots allegedly touching up to Rs. 2 crore. According to preliminary findings from the ongoing investigations, a key operative identified as Basavaraj Kannale functioned as the central mastermind behind the recruitment racket. Investigators discovered that the network systematically targeted and contacted over 1,400 aspiring candidates, brokering clandestine deals ranging between Rs. 70 lakh and Rs. 80 lakh per appointment. The corruption ring relied on high-risk financial collateral to enforce compliance and secure payouts from desperate applicants. During intensive raids conducted at various operational sites and KPSC administrative offices, Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials and investigating teams seized critical incriminating evidence, including handwritten diaries, promissory notes, and signed blank cheques extracted from candidates as security for promised government placements. Following the recovery of these seized documents and formal directives issued by senior administrative heads—including KPSC Secretary K. Jyothi—authorities moved swiftly to freeze the contentious selection list. The abrupt halt aims to preserve evidentiary integrity while comprehensive audits examine how external brokers infiltrated the state's examination evaluation and shortlisting mechanisms. The RTO Inspector recruitment controversy centers on examination processes originally initiated to fill 150 Motor Vehicle Inspector vacancies through competitive testing. While initial shortlists were processed years prior, subsequent additional selection lists faced mounting allegations of backroom manipulation, favoritism, and monetary quid pro quo. As judicial and central investigative bodies deepen their probes into the nexus between rogue intermediaries and administrative insiders, opposition parties and public transparency advocates have demanded radical structural overhauls within the KPSC. The state government is under mounting pressure to ensure that all recruitment pathways are subjected to rigorous digital oversight and independent judicial monitoring, safeguarding the futures of thousands of meritorious aspirants who rely on transparent public service examinations.