Bengaluru: Karnataka IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar has reportedly been untraceable since August 20, with his family and officials unable to contact him, according to official sources. The Karnataka government has said it is looking into the matter, although no formal missing-person complaint has been filed so far.
Gangwar, a 2016-batch IAS officer, is currently serving as Director, MSME, in Karnataka’s Department of Industries and Commerce.
Where Was IAS Officer Gyanendra Gangwar Last Seen?
Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge confirmed on Saturday that the government had received information about Gangwar being unreachable.
According to the information currently available with authorities, Gangwar was last traced to Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. Officials have received certain information from the airport and are examining it as part of efforts to establish his whereabouts.
“All modes of communication with him have been disconnected, and he is not reachable,” Kharge said, adding that authorities were still investigating before deciding their next course of action.
Sources said Gangwar had reportedly booked a flight ticket to Delhi before becoming incommunicado.
No Formal Complaint Filed So Far
Kharge said information about Gangwar being unreachable had reached the government a couple of days earlier. However, neither his family nor anyone else had lodged a formal complaint as of Saturday.
Authorities are now attempting to piece together his movements and establish whether he travelled from Bengaluru after reaching the airport.
Gangwar previously served as Controller of Examinations at the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) before being replaced in March this year.
There have been reports attempting to connect his disappearance with developments surrounding his earlier tenure at the KPSC. Officials, however, have cautioned that no such connection has been established at this stage.
Development Comes Amid KPSC Controversy
The development comes at a time when the KPSC is facing scrutiny over allegations concerning its recruitment processes.
The Karnataka Cabinet on Friday decided to recommend to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot that KPSC chairperson Shivashankarappa S Sahukar be suspended and an inquiry initiated against him.
Sahukar has faced allegations of corruption and nepotism, including claims linked to his daughter’s selection for a government job on the basis of an allegedly false income certificate.
The Governor had earlier suspended Sahukar on July 13, but the Karnataka High Court ordered his reinstatement on August 18, observing that the decision had not been taken with the aid and advice of the state Cabinet.
Separately, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently conducted searches at premises linked to the KPSC, Sahukar, commission member Shanta Hosmani and others as part of a money-laundering investigation connected to an alleged recruitment examination scam involving veterinary officers.
Authorities have not established any link between these developments and Gangwar being unreachable. The search for the IAS officer and efforts to determine his whereabouts are continuing.
