Bengaluru, April 14 (Reporter) The Karnataka Governor, who is also the Chancellor of Mangalore University, has reportedly written to state authorities for an independent probe into the recruitment process at KOMUL, involving Congress leader KY Nanjegowda and other members. This request came after the Governor received a letter from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which reportedly uncovered a 'cash-for-jobs' racket during their investigations in January involving Congress leader KY Nanjegowda and others. The ED's investigation was part of a broader money laundering probe into an alleged illegal allotment of government land worth Rs 150 crore to ineligible individuals. According to the ED, 320 candidates were shortlisted for interviews in December 2023. Eventually, a final list of 75 candidates was approved by the KOMUL board for recruitment. Concerningly, these selected candidates were sent for training without the publication of the results, raising questions about the transparency and fairness of the recruitment process. "It was noticed that recruitment committee of KOMUL chaired by K Y Nanje Gowda and four other members completely manipulated the interview process. According to the board decision, orders were issued to the selected candidates and they were sent to training without making the final result public," the agency had said. The ED alleged that the recruitment process at Kolar-Chikkaballapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited (KOMUL) held in 2023 was manipulated by the recruitment committee headed Nanjegowda and other members. They claim that seats were sold for money ranging between Rs 20-30 lakh per seat. The ED seized various pieces of evidence during their raids, including tampered OMR sheets, loose sheets with candidate names and money collected from them, referrals from politicians for selection of favored candidates, and digital data containing phone calls and WhatsApp chats. It is alleged that certain politicians referred candidates for selection, with a total of 30 such references being accommodated. The ED alleged that the then Mangalore University registrar (evaluation) did not follow prescribed procedures for conducting the examination, printing and evaluation work, selection of exam centers, and maintaining the confidentiality of results. The agency claimed that officials from KOMUL admitted to receiving money as part of the recruitment scam. A director of KOMUL allegedly admitted to receiving Rs 80 lakh, while the former registrar (evaluation) and a private individual accused of tampering with OMR sheets admitted to receiving Rs 6 lakh each...////...