ED Details Karnataka Public Service Commission Exam Fraud and Resort Training

The Enforcement Directorate has detailed an alleged fraud in a Karnataka Public Service Commission examination, describing a scheme in which the question paper was leaked and candidates were subsequently coached at resorts in Bengaluru. The federal agency outlined the operation on Thursday, stating that the leaked paper was used to conduct "training" sessions for aspirants at resort locations in the city to manipulate the test outcome.

According to the ED's findings, the fraud involved a coordinated effort to compromise the integrity of the recruitment process. Investigators allege that after the question paper was obtained illicitly, the accused organised accommodation at Bengaluru resorts where candidates were tutored on the answers. The agency did not specify in its initial disclosure which specific KPSC examination was targeted or the total number of candidates implicated in the resort-based coaching.

The development marks a significant escalation in the scrutiny of Karnataka's competitive examination system, which has faced recurring allegations of malpractice in recent years. The ED's involvement indicates a financial angle to the investigation, likely focusing on the money trail associated with the sale of the leaked paper and the fees collected for the coaching sessions. The agency has not yet released the names of the arrested suspects or the specific resorts used for the training camps.

Karnataka police and the KPSC have not issued independent statements confirming the specifics of the ED's narrative. The commission, which conducts recruitment for Group A and B posts in the state civil services, has previously cancelled examinations following leaks, but the alleged use of dedicated resort facilities for mass coaching represents a new operational scale. The ED is expected to file a formal complaint or chargesheet detailing the predicate offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.