Karnataka: Governor suspends KPSC chief for helping daughters get govt job allegedly illegally
Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot has suspended Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) Chairperson Shivashankarappa S Sahukar pending allegations against him that he facilitated jobs for his two daughters through the commission allegedly in violation of the law. The governor has recomm
Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot has suspended Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) Chairperson Shivashankarappa S Sahukar pending allegations against him that he facilitated jobs for his two daughters through the commission allegedly in violation of the law. The governor has recommended to the President that the matter be referred to the Supreme Court for investigation under Article 317(1) of the Constitution. Under Article 317(1), a member of a public service commission can only be removed from service by the President after an inquiry launched by the SC finds the allegations to be proved. A statement from the Karnataka Lok Bhavan on July 13 said that, “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”.The controversy came to light when Union Minister Pralhad Joshi wrote to Gehlot and Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, asking for a transparent investigation based on the allegations in the recruitment process.The Vidhana Soudha police have registered an FIR against Suma S Sahukar, Sahukar’s daughter for producing fake income and asset certificates. Suma allegedly obtained an income certificate declaring an annual income of Rs 40,000, the governor said in the press release.Suma reportedly got a job as a Junior Engineer in the Department of Industries and Commerce in March 2024, and also obtained a 3B reservation certificate. The other daughter is selected under the general merit category for the Hyderabad and Karnataka cadre.The Governor also cited a government order dated March 30,2002, staying that children of the chairman of a public service commission are barred from claiming a reservation under the backward classes quota in Karnataka.Sahukar was appointed as the chairperson in 2021.In the meantime, the governor has appointed Dr B Prabhudev, the senior-most member of the commission, as the acting chairperson.This story was written by a student interning with TNM.