PSI scam: CID detains suspected middleman

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officials detained an elderly man on Tuesday on the suspicion that he is one of the agents in the PSI scam. The suspect is identified as Ganapathi Bhat, 62, a resident of Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district.

According to CID sources, Bhat was brought from Sirsi to the city on Tuesday morning. He is suspected to have contact with the accused arrested in the case so far and has played the role of middleman in the scam. "We are interrogating him about the allegations against him. We have not yet arrested him, a senior officer said.

The officers are tight-lipped about revealing details about him. After the police detained him and began questioning him, rumours were afloat that Bhat is a officer on special duty (OSD) in the home minister's office. CID officials quickly clarified that Bhat was not OSD in the minister's office. The CID officials are also questioning a few other suspects in the case, including the additional director general of police (ADGP) Amrit Paul.