The case concerns alleged irregularities in the KPSC recruitment examination for 400 Veterinary Officer posts.
The complaint alleged that relatives of KPSC officials secured unusually high marks, that some candidates were allegedly given access to the question paper before the examination, and that OMR sheets were tampered with. Middlemen allegedly approached candidates and promised to secure appointments for ₹70-80 lakhs, allegedly by manipulating their OMR marks.
Shivashankarappa was booked for the offence under Section 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and under provisions of the Karnataka Public Examinations (Measures for Prevention of Corruption and Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act, 2023.
A trial court, on August 11, rejected Shivashankarappa’s anticipatory bail plea, citing the seriousness of the allegations, the need for his custodial interrogation and the possibility of his influencing the investigation, witnesses or evidence given his position.
Shivashankarappa challenged this ruling before the High Court.