The Karnataka High Court on Friday ordered notices to former Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) chairman H N Krishna and other respondents in connection with alleged irregularities while recruiting probationary gazetted officers in 1998.
 More than 20 persons have approached the High Court, alleging that KPSC officials had disregarded norms while making recruitment. The petitioners complained that Krishna misused constitutional powers and indulged in corrupt practices and favouritism.
As many as 85,980 applications were received after a notification was issued on March 9, 1998 and 79,130 candidates were found eligible to appear for the exams. But, several candidates had not mentioned or wrongly mentioned their qualifications. Many of them were appointed. This  indicated that many ineligible candidates were serving as officers, petitioners contended.
T M Devaraju, Chandregowda and several others appeared for personality test held in August 2001. When some candidates made allegations of corruption and approached the Supreme Court, it ordered revaluation of select answer scripts.
But Karnataka Public Service Commission officials flouted norms and revalued all the scripts. After revaluation, those who were earlier selected for the posts, were dropped from the provisional list, pointed out senior advocate M S Padmarajaiah.
He argued that the whole process should be declared as null and void.
Rules challenged
The Karnataka Judicial Recruitment Rules, which have no provision for revaluation of answer scripts and re-totalling, has been challenged in the High Court.  In the petition, advocate C B Rudresh pointed out that all other exams allowed revaluation and re-totalling, except exams for junior grade advocates, and argued this was illegal.
He had obtained 60 and above marks in the other papers, while securing only 36 marks in second paper on Law. Hence, he failed in the exams, Rudresh complained. A division bench headed by CJ Cyriac Joseph posted the matter to March 7.
Inquiry ordered
The High Court on Friday expressed displeasure over the delay in initiating action in connection with a complaint regarding loss of crop worth Rs 50 lakh.
Justice H G Ramesh directed the DGP to inquire into the reasons for delay in conducting the investigation, and submit a report.
Lakshminarayan, a resident of Kunchagaranalli, had filed a complaint with the Bidadi police, stating that his opponents destroyed his property, including crop, over a land controversy when the case was pending before the Civil Court. Justice G Ramesh questioned why the investigation had not been conducted.
The Justice directed the DGP to furnish details regarding the progress made in the investigation of the case and reasons for the delay.