Missing Karnataka IAS Officer Contacts Government

• Gangwar had reportedly been unreachable since August 20.
• He was last traced to Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru.
• The IAS officer has now communicated with the Karnataka government.
• Kharge says Gangwar had sought leave and travelled to his hometown urgently.

GG News Bureau
Bengaluru, 22nd Aug: Karnataka IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, who was reported missing after being last traced to Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, has contacted the state government and clarified that he travelled to his hometown due to a family emergency.

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said on Saturday that Gangwar had sought leave and travelled urgently but was not reachable on his official phone during the period, leading to confusion over his whereabouts.

“There have been reports that an IAS officer in Karnataka has gone missing,” Kharge said in a post on X. He added that the officer had communicated with the government and clarified that he had travelled to his hometown because of a family emergency.

Gangwar, a 2016-batch IAS officer, is currently serving as Director, MSME, in the Department of Industries and Commerce. Reports had said he had been unreachable since August 20 and had booked a flight ticket to Delhi.

Earlier on Saturday, Kharge said the government had received information that Gangwar was unreachable but that no formal missing-person complaint had been filed by his family or anyone else.

The minister had also said Gangwar was last traced to Kempegowda International Airport, with authorities examining information received from the airport.

Gangwar previously served as Controller of Examinations at the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) before being replaced in March this year.

Reports had linked his absence to developments during his tenure at the KPSC, although these claims could not be independently confirmed.

The development comes amid increased scrutiny of the KPSC. The Karnataka Cabinet on Friday decided to recommend to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot that KPSC Chairperson Shivashankarappa S Sahukar be suspended and that an inquiry be initiated against him.

With Gangwar now having contacted the state government and explained his absence, the immediate uncertainty over his whereabouts has been resolved.