Inquiry finds Bannur used mobile phone inside exam hall

Haveri: The controversy surrounding Shankar Bannur, who secured the highest marks in the state in the Village Accountant (VA) recruitment examination, has taken a dramatic turn, with an official inquiry reportedly finding that he used a mobile phone inside the examination hall to answer questions.

The investigation was ordered by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) after questions were raised over the sharp contrast between Bannur’s performance in two recruitment examinations.

He had scored just 25 marks in the KSRP constable examination but secured 151.25 marks in the VAO examination. During the inquiry led by the Haveri Deputy Commissioner, CCTV footage from the examination centre in Shiggaon allegedly showed Bannur using a mobile phone and scanning question paper pages through the Google Lens application to obtain answers. Based on the findings, Hanagal police took Bannur into custody and handed him over to Shiggaon police for further questioning. Reports said he admitted to using the phone during the examination.

Bannur reportedly told investigators that only his Aadhaar card was checked at the entrance and that he managed to carry the mobile phone into the examination room. He allegedly used Google assistance to fill in the OMR sheet without attracting attention.

Earlier, Bannur had denied allegations of irregularities, claiming that he had secured the marks through hard work despite coming from a poor family. He said he had worked in hotels and cinema halls while preparing for competitive examinations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Hans India