Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (MS)
Bengaluru, May 3: Rudra Gowda D Patil and Manjunath Melakundi, who are arrested in the PSI recruitment scam were earlier accused in the assistant engineer post recruitment in PWD also.
Manjunatha Melakundi is working at assistant engineer in the Koralli Camp subdivision of Amrja dam project of Bhoosanur Karnataka irrigation authority limited. He is the fourth accused in the PWD assistant engineer recruitment scam. R D Patil is the sixth accused in the same scam.
Manjunatha Melakundi (left) and R D Patil
After the death of Shiva Kumaraiah alias Thatha, who used to get question papers of any examination, Manjunatha Melakundi and R D Patil had extended their limits and had the capacity to get any question paper of examinations conducted by the government of Karnataka. During CID interrogation, it has come to light that they had direct contact with the staff where the question papers used to get printed.
Manjunatha had nominated examination hall invigilator himself to distribute Bluetooth to selected candidates in the PWD assistant engineer examinations that were held in December 2021. Veeranna Gowda Devindrappa Chikkagowda was caught while answering the examination using blue tooth.
Principal of St Johns school had filed a complaint in this regard in Annapoorneshwarinagar police station. Police who investigated the matter had arrested eight people including Manjunatha Melakundi and R D Patil. It had come to light that the accused had taken Rs eight to 10 lac bribe from each candidate.
Manjunath and R D Patil had made Rs 60 to 70 lac deal for every post in the PSI recruitment. Accused had direct contact with the staff of printing press where the question papers used to get printed. They used to get the same three to four days before the exams and sell the same to candidates.
It is said that the kingpins of the scam have given a bribe of Rs two crore to Divya Hagaragi to allow her to carry out illegal activities during PSI examination which was conducted in the educational institution owned by Divya.
Among the candidates who wrote the PSI examination in the educational institute run by Divya Hagaragi, it is known that 35 were candidates of R D Patil and 10 took favours from Manjunatha Melakundi.