Karnataka IAS Officer Goes Missing Amid Allegations

Article by Kumar Published on: 7:26 pm, 22 August 2026

Senior Karnataka IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar has gone missing since his journey from Bengaluru to New Delhi on Thursday, raising serious concerns among state authorities. The 2016-batch officer, who currently serves as Director of MSME, switched off his phone and cut all contact.

Preliminary investigation revealed that he boarded a flight to Delhi on the evening of August 20 and took a cab after coming of the airport. Since then, he has remained untraceable.

His sudden disappearance has drawn widespread focus because he previously served as Controller of Examinations at the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC). He was abruptly removed from the key testing post in March following growing administrative controversies.

However, authorities have not confirmed any direct connection between his disappearance and the ongoing investigation.

During his tenure, KPSC faced severe criticism over compromised test integrity and administrative misconduct. The former examination chief is closely tied to intense probes surrounding recruitment scams across state departments. Allegations involve bribery, OMR sheet tampering, and irregular candidate selections.

State Home Minister Priyank Kharge confirmed that search efforts remain ongoing, even without a formal missing complaint. Recent statements suggest officials are verifying if he traveled due to a family emergency, but security teams are busy finding his whereabouts.