Tumakuru
The ongoing investigation into the alleged Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) recruitment scam has now reportedly widened to include possible irregularities at Tumakuru University. Investigating officials from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) are collecting information about the activities of Basavaraj Kannale, who is a key accused and had also served as a nominated member of the university’s Syndicate.
Kannale was appointed as a Syndicate member of Tumakuru University in August 2025. He was also made a member of a sub-committee dealing with purchases and construction-related decisions. Investigators are reportedly examining whether he used his position to influence decisions and whether there were any irregularities in the implementation of the university’s annual budget.
Kannale allegedly established contacts with several senior professors who had applied for the vacant Vice-Chancellor’s post at Tumakuru University. He is alleged to have assured some candidates that he could help them secure the post. There are also allegations that he had discussed financial dealings in connection with appointments to senior academic positions.
Investigators are also reportedly looking into claims that Kannale had approached a former Vice-Chancellor of Tumakuru University regarding the appointment of a candidate to the vacant Vice-Chancellor’s post at Central University of Andhra Pradesh in Anantapur. The reported financial transactions and communications are said to be part of the wider investigation being carried out by the CID and other agencies.
Officials investigating the case have reportedly collected details of Kannale’s telephone calls to trace possible links and transactions. Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has demanded that Kannale be removed from the university Syndicate.
The university administration, however, has reportedly given Kannale a clean chit and submitted an affidavit to the CID, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the State Home Department. The investigation is expected to establish whether the allegations concerning the university have any factual basis.
