Karnataka has proposed four ADGP-rank IPS officers to lead the KPSC recruitment fraud SIT.The Karnataka government Wednesday submitted the names of four senior IPS officers to the Karnataka High Court as choices to head the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged recruitment frauds at the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC).The submission follows an October 13 Supreme Court order upholding the SIT’s constitution and directing the replacement of its chief.The four Additional Director General of Police (ADGP)-rank officers proposed by the state are: R Hitendra, ADGP, law and order; B K Singh, ADGP, state CID; S Murugan, ADGP, communications, logistics and modernisation; Soumendu Mukherjee, ADGP, administration, police headquarters.A single-judge High Court bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna gave aggrieved aspirants, accused candidates, a students association, and BJP MLA Basanagouda Yatnal two days to submit their views on the choice of the SIT head. The court also directed authorities to formally notify the KPSC SIT as a police station headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP) rank officer within two days.In addition, the state proposed three Inspector General of Police (IGP) rank officers, Labhu Ram, Bheemshankar Guled, and Ilakiya Karunakaran, to replace original SIT member Dr Divya Gopinath (director, state forensic science laboratory) to avoid potential conflicts of interest. However, the advocate representing the BJP MLA objected to the IGP-rank proposals, contending that both SIT replacements mandated by the Supreme Court must be of ADGP rank.On September 21, the Karnataka High Court ordered a fresh probe into KPSC recruitment frauds, including the veterinary officers’ exam leakage and allegations involving the daughter of suspended KPSC chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar, appointing DGP Alok Kumar to head the SIT.The state government challenged the order. On October 13, the Supreme Court set aside the direction for a fresh probe, ordering the SIT to continue the investigation from where the CID left off. The Supreme Court allowed the state to propose alternative names for the SIT chief and member, leaving the final decision to the High Court after hearing objections.Story continues below this adThe CID investigation revealed that former KPSC controller of examinations Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, an IAS officer, allegedly leaked answer keys for the January 9 veterinary doctors’ exam via middleman Basavaraj Kannale. The leaks were sold for Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh, enabling 14 candidates with prior access to secure top ranks in the selection list published in July.The CID arrested Gangwar on August 29. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) later arrested suspended KPSC chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar and member B V Geetha on October 6 for their alleged role in selling answer keys to candidates. CID probes have remained stalled since September 21, pending the final constitution of the SIT.