Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot suspended Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) Chairperson Shivashankarappa S. Sahukar, pending an inquiry into alleged misconduct linked to the illegal selection of his daughters through the KPSC process.
The Governor has recommended to the President of India to make a reference to the Supreme Court of India under Article 317(1) of the Constitution for an inquiry into the allegations.
“To further ensure a fair, impartial and uninfluenced investigation while protecting the integrity and credibility of KPSC, the governor has placed the Chairman under suspension until further orders from the President’s office,” according to a statement from Karnataka Lok Bhavan on July 13.
The Governor has directed the senior-most member of the Commission to function as the Acting Chairperson until further orders from the President of India.
FIR and HC relief
Vidhana Soudha police registered an FIR against Suma S. Sahukar on July 10 for allegedly claiming reservation benefits under the 3B category by producing an Income and Asset Certificate that declared her family’s annual income as ₹40,000 to facilitate selection for the post of Junior Engineer (Civil) in the Department of Industries & Commerce in March 2024.
The FIR was registered based on a complaint from KPSC, after verification revealed that the income certificate was false, as during the selection process, the candidate’s father, Shivashankrappa S. Sahukar, was the Chairperson of KPSC drawing a monthly salary of ₹2.25 lakh apart from other allowances.
On July 10, the High Court of Karnataka stayed a resolution passed in KPSC by other members on June 19 asking the Chairperson to resign taking moral responsibility over his daughter’s alleged illegal selection for a post while he was Chairperson.
‘Misbehaviour warranting action’
According to a statement from the Governor’s Secretariat, Lok Bhavan had received complaints that the Chairperson facilitated the illegal selection of his two daughters to the posts of Industrial Extension Officers in an unlawful manner. The Governor’s Secretariat said the Chairperson failed to recuse himself, or formally declare a conflict of interest, while his direct dependents participated in the KPSC recruitment process.
It further said that one of his daughters obtained an income and caste certificate declaring the family’s annual income as ₹40,000, and claimed OBC reservation and creamy layer exemption despite the family’s income allegedly exceeding the prescribed limit. It stated that, under a Karnataka government order dated March 30, 2002, children of the Chairperson of a Public Service Commission are not eligible to claim reservation under the backward classes quota.
The Governor’s Secretariat stated that the alleged suppression of material facts, supported by the Chairperson’s income and property returns and other records, amounted to ‘misbehaviour’ warranting action under the Constitution.
