Bengaluru: The Karnatakaa Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has suspended the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) Chairman Shivashankarappa S Sahukar, who is facing allegations of facilitating the illegal selection of his two daughters as Industrial Extension Officers.
The Governor on Monday also recommended the President of India that the matter be referred to the Supreme Court under Article 317(1) of the Constitution for an inquiry. At the same time, the governor has also directed that the senior most member of the KPSC should discharge the function of the Chairman until further orders, stating that the suspension was necessary to ensure a fair and impartial investigation.
A release from the Governor's Secretariat stated: ``It is found that the Chairman failed to recuse himself or formally declare a conflict of interest while his direct dependents participated in the KPSC selection process. One of the daughters of the Chairman has obtained the income and caste certificate declaring the family income of ₹ 40,000 per annum. These evidences indicate that the Chairman's daughter has claimed OBC Reservation and Creamy Layer exemption by deliberate suppression of facts and using manipulated lower income declarations in spite of having income more than prescribed limit and knowing that her father is working as the Chairman of the Commission.''
During the recruitment process, one of Shivashankarappa Sahukar's daughters was selected as Industrial Extension Officer, despite producing lower income certificates.. However, when it came to his second daughter Suma S Sahukar, the discrepancies came to light and a case was registered at Vidhana soudha Police Station, under forgery and cheating clauses.
Following the FIR, the other members of KPSC passed an unanimous resolution on July 4, to keep Shivashankarappa Sahukar away from the meetings of the Commission as well as other exam related works. However, Sahukar obtained a stay from the Karnataka High Court against the resolution.
The issue got traction when Union Minister Prahlad Joshi wrote a letter to both Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, seeking their intervention to hold an inquiry into the allegations against the KPSC Chairman and keep him under suspension till the inquiry is concluded.
