ORDER :

M.Nagaprasanna, J.

Conglomeration of these cases relate to recruitments in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (‘the Commission’ for short) to the posts of Veterinary doctors and several other posts notified by the Commission for the purpose of recruitment to the respective posts. Since petitions with different prayers have their fulcrum to recruitments to posts advertised by the Commission, they are taken up together and considered by this common order.

Writ Petition No.23448 of 2026:

2. The petitioner in the subject petition, a practicing veterinary doctor at Channarayapatna Taluk is the complainant along with 24 other aggrieved candidates, registers a complaint which becomes a crime in Crime No.89 of 2026 before the Vidhana Soudha Police Station, Bengaluru for offences punishable under Section 318(2) of the BNS and Section 10 of the Karnataka Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Corruption and Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act, 2023 arising out of recruitments to 400 posts of Veterinary Officers to be filled up in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. After registration of the complaint, the petitioner owing to the past experience of the State in investigating the offences of bribery driven manipulation to the recruitments carried out by the Commission is before the Court seeking a direction for transfer of the entire investigation to the hands of the Central Bureau of Investigation (‘CBI’ for short)to stop organized bribery driven recruitments in the Commission.

Writ Petition No.22184 of 2026:

3. The 1^st petitioner in the subject petition is a political representative, a Member of Legislative Assembly of Vijayapura City Constituency and the 2^nd petitioner is the All Karnataka State Students Association. The petitioners bring out the entire spectrum of recruitments done by the Commission which were marred by allegations of large-scale errors and corruption in the past with particular reference to the act of the Chairman of the Commission in bringing in two of his daughters into the select list contrary to law. This complaint is registered before the jurisdictional Police which becomes a crime in Crime No.78 of 2026. As observed hereinabove, quoting instances of investigation not being done where it would inspire public confidence, the petitioners seek transfer of investigation to the hands of the CBI. Therefore, this and the earlier mentioned petition seek transfer of investigation to the hands of the CBI or any other investigating agency that this Court would deem fit to constitute.

Criminal Petition No.11992 of 2026:

4. The petitioners in this petition call in question crime in Crime No.89 of 2026 registered by the 2^nd respondent/complainant, a participant and an unsuccessful candidate to the post of Veterinary Officer. The three petitioners in the subject petition participated in the competitive examination conducted by the Commission for the posts of Veterinary Officers. They are found to be successful and included in the eligibility list after which a provisional select list was also notified where the petitioners secured marks more than the 2^nd respondent and the Commission notifies a final select list confirming the selection of the petitioners for the posts of Veterinary Officers. On registration of the crime in Crime No.89 of 2026, the final select list is now relegated to cold storage. Therefore, the petitioners are before the Court seeking quashment of crime in Crime No.89 of 2026 insofar as they are concerned.

Criminal Petition No.11362 of 2026:

5. This petition is also filed by a selected candidate whose name was found in the select list. Therefore, separate facts in the case at hand need not be narrated, except the fact that he is also one of the accused in Crime No.89 of 2026.

Criminal Petition No.11874 of 2026:

6. The petition is preferred by the other selected candidates/petitioners 1 to 7, co-accused in Crime No.89 of 2026. Therefore, the facts leading to filing of the present petition