PSI scam: RD Patil claims CID DySP was paid Rs 76 lakhs as bribe!

Kalaburagi: The PSI recruitment scam seems to have taken a new turn with R D Patil, the prime accused in the case, claiming that he has complained to the Lokayukta that he paid the investigating officer in the case CID DySP Shankar Gowda Patil Rs 76 lakhs as a bribe.

As proof for the complaint, R D Patil has reportedly provided a pen drive containing audio of the purported conversation. The 8.04-minute-long video has also been uploaded on the Facebook page named ‘R D Patil Yuva Brigade.”

R D Patil alleged that Shakar Gowda Patil had demanded Rs 3 crores to settle the matter and for stopping the probe. However, he said, that he could arrange only Rs 76 lakhs at the time. “I drew money from my Bank of Baroda account and delivered it to him (Shankar Gowda Patil) through my son-in-law Srikanta,” RD Patil says in the Facebook video. He further alleged that Shakar Gowda and his subordinates harassed him for the rest of the money after he got bail.

In the audio, only R.D. Patil’s speech is clearly heard. The voice of the interlocutor is not clear.

However, Kalaburagi Lokayukta SP A.R. Kurnool said that there is no information about R.D. Patil sending a complaint to Lokayukta.

DySP Shankar Gowda denies allegations

Meanwhile, CID DySP Shankar Gowda Patil denied all the allegations made by R D Patil. Issuing a clarification on the matter, DySP said a conversation had taken place in July last year and the same has been investigated by Anti-Corruption Bureau. ACB investigation has dismissed the charges made. “This is a ploy to undermine the morale of the investigating officers and create doubts among the people about the investigation,” the police officer said.

Following the allegations by R D Patil, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that stern disciplinary action will be taken against the officer if any wrongdoing is found. Appropriate action will be taken, but let the truth be revealed first, he added.