Row erupts after KEA case accused seen evading arrest
RD Patil has also been named in the FIR after one of the aspirants, who was arrested, revealed his involvement in the malpractice, police said.
The prime suspect in the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) exam malpractice case, R D Patil, who was also implicated in the infamous police sub-inspector (PSI) recruitment scam last year, managed to evade arrest and escaped from a residential complex in Kalaburgi district on Monday, officers familiar with the matter said.
He has been on the run since the case came to light on October 28, after Karnataka police arrested as many as 18 people for their alleged involvement in malpractices during the exam held by KEA to fill posts for First Division Assistant (FDA). RD Patil has also been named in the FIR after one of the aspirants, who was arrested, revealed his involvement in the malpractice, the police said.
On Monday around 1 pm, the police received a tip-off that Patil was hiding inside a house at a residential layout on Jewargi Road. However, by the time police arrived, Patil left the apartment by jumping over a gate, and his escape was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the layout.
Patil’s escape has triggered a controversy with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader BY Vijayendra, alleging that Priyank Kharge, the district in-charge minister, aided Patil in escaping the city and claimed that the accused has ties to high-ranking members of the ruling Congress party in the state.
“RD Patil is not a common man. He has direct contact and support from top leaders of the Congress government. He manages to escape even after SP-ranked [superintendent of police] officer obtains information about his whereabouts, this shows the involvement of invisible hands,” Vijayendra said.
“Congress used to make allegations against the previous BJP government in the state. Minister Priyank Kharge had levelled charges against the government for such exam malpractice. Now, his entire team including RD Patil has been working as a Congress puppet. Due to this, police officials have lost value as the kingpin continued to remain elusive”, he added.
In response to this escape, Kharge said that a search operation has been launched to apprehend RD Patil. “So far, approximately 20 individuals have been arrested in connection with the KEA exam malpractice scandal. Strict action would be taken against any police officials found negligent or intentionally aiding Patil’s escape,” he said.
Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa also called for immediate action to arrest Patil.
Meanwhile, home minister Dr G Parameshwara said that there are multiple cases against Patil and that efforts are underway to capture him. He mentioned that Patil is believed to be hiding in Maharashtra. “We have instructed the police to arrest him sooner. We have information that he is hiding in Maharashtra. This is not a big matter for the department, how many days will he be able to stay in hiding?” Parameshwara maintained.
“Our objective is to bring the truth out and we will bring him into the book surely. He was also involved in the PSI scandal and we will get more evidence in the KEA scam as well,” he added.
In the event of negligence in the handling of Patil’s escape by the SP or other officials, appropriate action will be taken, Parameshwara added. “If necessary, the KEA exam scam case would be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department [CID],” he said.
