Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot on Monday suspended Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) Chairman Shivashankarappa S Sahukar, following allegations that he facilitated the unlawful selection of his two daughters to the posts of Industrial Extension Officer.
The Governor has also recommended to the President that the matter be referred to the Supreme Court under Article 317(1) of the Constitution for a formal inquiry.
According to a statement issued by Raj Bhavan, complaints had been received accusing Sahukar of engineering the illegal selection of his two daughters to KPSC posts in an unlawful manner.
The statement noted that the Chairman had failed to recuse himself or formally disclose a conflict of interest at any stage, even as his own dependants took part in the very selection process he presided over.
Among the more serious allegations laid out in the release was that one of Sahukar’s daughters had declared the family’s annual income as just ₹40,000 in order to obtain an income and caste certificate, subsequently claiming OBC reservation along with a creamy layer exemption.
The Raj Bhavan statement alleged this was done despite the family’s actual income exceeding the prescribed threshold, and despite her being fully aware that her father held the position of Chairman of the Commission at the time.
The statement further pointed out that under Government Order No. SWD 225 BCA 2000, dated March 30, 2002, children of a Public Service Commission Chairman are barred from claiming reservation benefits under the backward classes quota in Karnataka.
The release alleged that this restriction was knowingly bypassed, with the Governor’s office stating that such a lapse “is an act impossible without administrative oversight or deliberate blindness by the head of the Commission.”
Referring to the income and property returns submitted by the Chairman, along with other supporting records, the Raj Bhavan statement said the evidence pointed toward the Chairman “with some certainty,” and that the facts of the case amounted to misbehaviour.
It was on this basis that the Governor recommended a Supreme Court inquiry under Article 317(1) of the Constitution, the provision that allows for judicial examination of alleged misconduct by a Public Service Commission member.
To ensure that the investigation proceeds fairly and without any possibility of interference, the Governor has placed Sahukar under suspension with immediate effect, pending further orders from the President’s Office.
The Governor’s office said the move was necessary to safeguard the integrity and credibility of the Karnataka Public Service Commission while the inquiry is underway.
