Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, July 13: Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) chairman Shivashankarappa S Sahukar was suspended by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Monday, July 13, over allegations of misconduct in the recruitment of his two daughters as Industrial Extension Officers, with the matter now set to be referred to the Supreme Court for an inquiry.
In an official statement, special secretary to the governor R Prabhushankar said the governor had recommended to the President of India that the allegations against the KPSC chairman be referred to the Supreme Court under Article 317(1) of the Constitution for investigation.
The complaints allege that Sahukar unlawfully facilitated the selection of his two daughters to the posts of industrial extension officers.
According to the complaint, one of his daughters secured an income and caste certificate by declaring the family’s annual income as Rs 40,000. It is alleged that she claimed reservation under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category and obtained exemption from the creamy layer criteria by suppressing material facts and furnishing a manipulated declaration of lower family income, despite the family’s income allegedly exceeding the prescribed ceiling. The complaint further states that she was fully aware that her father was serving as chairman of the Karnataka Public Service Commission.
The complaint also points out that under the Government Order dated March 3, 2002, children of the chairman of a public service commission are not entitled to claim reservation under the Backward Classes quota in Karnataka.
It further alleges that despite this restriction, Sahukar and his daughter concealed material information to obtain undue benefits, contending that such an act could not have occurred without administrative oversight or deliberate negligence at the highest level of the Commission.
The Governor’s statement said the income and property returns submitted by Sahukar, along with other documentary records, prima facie indicate misconduct on his part.
Taking note of the seriousness of the allegations, the Governor recommended that the President refer the matter to the Supreme Court for an inquiry under Article 317(1) of the Constitution.
Pending further orders from the President, Sahukar has been placed under suspension to ensure a fair, impartial and uninfluenced inquiry while safeguarding the integrity and credibility of the Karnataka Public Service Commission.
The governor has also directed that the senior-most member of the Commission shall discharge the functions of the chairman until further orders.