A job racket promising appointments as Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs) in the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department has come to light after a senior manager of a private pharmaceutical company allegedly lost ₹26 lakh to fraudsters. According to a complaint filed at the Vidhana Soudha Police Station, the victim, a senior manager at a private pharmaceutical company in Whitefield, alleged that the accused convinced him they could secure a PDO post through their political and bureaucratic contacts. The police said the prime accused, Santosh Hosamani, came into contact with him in December 2024 and claimed to be working in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) with strong links to Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) officials. He initially demanded ₹50 lakh for the job and allegedly collected ₹26 lakh in instalments. When the appointment order did not materialise, the complainant questioned the accused. To keep him convinced, another person identifying himself as Rao allegedly called the victim several times from a landline number purportedly linked to the KPSC office and assured him that …