The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has intensified its inquiry into the recruitment scam at the Belagavi Cantonment Board. Scanning recruitment documents and questioning employees has continued for the past 14 days. The investigation is expected to proceed for at least four more days, as CBI officers remain stationed in Belagavi to examine each recruited candidate.
According to sources, the investigation team is summoning and questioning every individual recruited under the 2022-23 process. The repeated visits by CBI officers and ongoing questioning have created an atmosphere of anxiety within the Cantonment Board office, as employees worry about the expanding scope of the probe.
Four CBI officials — including three men and one woman — have been in Belagavi since May 6. This marks the second round of investigation within two months. Initially, their focus was on verifying recruitment documents, but now they are directly interrogating the recruited candidates to understand the selection process and gather evidence of irregularities.
Recruitment Scam Timeline and Background
The recruitment corruption case first came to light in 2023, following a complaint about malpractices during the hiring of candidates for lower-tier positions such as coolie, mazdoor, dai, mali, and chowkidar. The complaint prompted a preliminary inquiry, leading the CBI to file an FIR in Bengaluru against 19 individuals, including board officials and candidates, nearly 18 months ago.
Following the FIR, several of the accused were granted bail. The CBI has since completed questioning of 14 staff members and five board officials, but has now reopened interrogations, calling in 29 individuals for fresh questioning as part of the extended investigation.
Focus of the Ongoing Inquiry
CBI officers are probing the details of the written examinations and interviews conducted during the controversial recruitment drive. Investigators are specifically asking how the question papers were distributed, how candidates were shortlisted, and whether monetary exchanges influenced the selection process.
The next phase of the investigation will shift to Bengaluru once the current round of questioning in Belagavi concludes, likely by May 24.
As the investigation deepens, the CBI’s persistence signals its commitment to uncovering the full extent of the alleged corruption in the Cantonment Board’s recruitment process.