Karnataka IAS officer Gyanendra Gangwar goes missing, last traced to Bengaluru airport

Karnataka IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar has reportedly gone missing and has remained unreachable since 20 August, official sources said on Saturday.

State Home Minister Priyank Kharge confirmed that the government had received information about the officer’s disappearance. However, no formal complaint has been lodged by his family or anyone else so far.

Gangwar, a 2016-batch IAS officer, is currently serving as Director, MSME, in the Department of Industries and Commerce. He was last traced to Kempegowda International Airport and had reportedly booked a flight to Delhi, according to sources.

“The information came a couple of days ago. No formal complaint has been lodged by his family or anyone else. From this morning, there are also reports on this in the media,” Kharge told reporters.

“All modes of communication with him have been disconnected, and he is not reachable. As of now, we have information that he was last traced to Kempegowda International Airport. We have received some information from the airport and are looking into it. We are still investigating and will decide on the further course of action,” he added.

Gangwar had previously served as controller of examinations at the Karnataka Public Service Commission. He was replaced in that position in March this year.

While some reports have sought to link his disappearance to developments during his tenure at the KPSC, official sources said no such connection could be confirmed at this stage.

The development comes amid growing scrutiny of the commission. 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 faces allegations of corruption and nepotism, including charges related to his daughter’s selection for a government post allegedly using a false income certificate.

Kharge said the High Court had directed the Governor to decide the matter in accordance with the aid and advice of the state government after Sahukar challenged his suspension.

“The entire episode surrounding recruitment at the KPSC and the large-scale corruption associated with it is being discussed among the public, and the future of youngsters has indeed been put at stake,” the minister said.

“Understanding the sentiments of the people, we have decided to go by the Governor’s earlier decision to suspend him, and we have given the Governor the same aid and advice. We have discussed the inquiry into all this,” he added.

The Governor had suspended Sahukar on 13 July over allegations of withholding important information and misconduct. The Karnataka High Court, however, ordered his reinstatement on 18 August, observing that the suspension had not been based on the aid and advice of the Cabinet.

Separately, the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday searched the premises of the KPSC, Sahukar, commission member Shanta Hosmani and others as part of a money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged veterinary officer recruitment examination scam.

With PTI inputs