A data entry operator managed to take the police, social welfare and other departments concerned for a ride in his effort to get jobs in the Karnataka High Court for five aspirants from Bijapur and other northern districts of the state. He had allegedly taken money from each candidate.
The accused, along with his associates, had created a fake letterhead of the Karnataka High Court and allegedly forged the signature and seal of the High Court Registrar (Administration) directing the officials to submit character/antecedents certificate, caste and income certificates and medical fitness certificate which are mandatory for applicants to government job.
Police have identified the suspect as B.G. Gopal, who was working as a data entry operator at a business solutions firm on Old Airport Road in Kodihalli. He had promised government jobs to family members of his colleagues and others, mainly from Bijapur. All the aspirants, who he had lured, had applied for the 2008 Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) exams for various posts. The aspirants were assured that they would be given jobs as typist and first and second division assistants in the Karnataka High Court.
With the help of the fake letterheads, signature and seal, Gopal had asked the respective departments to issue the necessary certificates. The character, antecedents, caste, income and medical certificates of the five candidates were sent directly to the High Court by the respective departments. Strangely, the High Court had not sought any documents from any of the departments pertaining to the five candidates and the officials were surprised when they got them. Following this, Karnataka High Court Registrar (Vigilance) on June 26, instructed the city police to conduct an inquiry.
The High Court Vigilance Cell officials, who conducted an inquiry, found out that Nagappa, a resident of Bijapur, had applied for the post of second division assistant, Aravind Gangaram Rathod, Basavaraj Mullur and Banadevi Shanmukhappa of Bijapur district for the post of first division assistant and Anasuya of Yadgir district for the post of typist, and were promised jobs by Gopal. Of the five candidates, Anusuya’s husband Mr Srinivas V. Joshi, was also working as a data entry operator at a business solutions firm on Old Airport Road since 2006. Three years ago, Joshi’s colleague Gopal is alleged to have promised a typist’s post in the Karnataka High Court for Anusuya and had taken money.
Later, Mr Joshi along with his associates Shekarappa Sangappa Hosahalli and Prakash Patil Rudre Gowda, met the four other job aspirants with the promise of jobs. The report has been submitted to the High Court Vigilance Registrar. Cases against B.G. Gopal, Srinivas V. Joshi, Shekarappa Sangappa Hosahalli, Prakash Patil Rudre Gowda and the five job aspirants have been registered. “We are in the process of arresting them”, an officer of the High Court Vigilance Cell added.