Bengaluru
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) Chairman Shivashankarappa S. Sahukar has been suspended after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot ordered action over allegations linked to the recruitment of Sahukar’s two daughters to government posts through a KPSC selection process.
The Governor has also recommended that the matter be referred to the Supreme Court for an inquiry under Article 317(1) of the Constitution, a move that could lead to a formal investigation into the conduct of the KPSC chief.
KPSC Chairman Shivashankarappa S. Sahukar was suspended by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot over allegations of conflict of interest in his daughters’ KPSC recruitment, leading to a recommendation for a Supreme Court probe.
The decision follows complaints alleging that Sahukar failed to distance himself from the recruitment process despite his daughters being candidates. The allegations centre on their selection as Industrial Extension Officers and claims that reservation benefits were wrongly availed during the recruitment process.
In an order issued on Sunday, the Governor said the seriousness of the allegations warranted an independent inquiry under Article 317(1) of the Constitution, a provision that allows the President to refer cases involving members of a Public Service Commission to the Supreme Court for investigation.
The Governor’s office has also suspended Sahukar from office pending further orders from the President, saying the decision was necessary to ensure that any inquiry proceeds without influence and to preserve public confidence in the Commission.
At the heart of the controversy is the allegation that Sahukar did not disclose a conflict of interest or recuse himself from matters connected to a recruitment process in which his daughters were applicants.
The Governor’s Secretariat has further claimed that one of the daughters secured income and caste certificates showing a family income of ₹40,000 annually, enabling her to seek benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category to facilitate her selection as Junior Engineer (Civil) in the Department of Industries and Commerce in March 2024. Authorities have alleged that the declaration did not reflect the family’s actual financial status and is now under scrutiny.
The communication from Raj Bhavan also points to an existing Karnataka government order dated March 30, 2002 that bars children of Public Service Commission chairpersons from claiming reservation benefits under the backward classes quota. Officials examining the complaints have alleged that relevant information was not disclosed despite this restriction.
While the allegations are yet to be tested through a formal inquiry, Raj Bhavan said documents including income and property records raised sufficient concerns to justify further investigation.
The suspension marks an extraordinary development for the KPSC, the constitutional body responsible for recruiting officers to various state government departments. Any questions surrounding the integrity of its recruitment process are likely to attract close public and political attention given the thousands of aspirants who depend on the Commission for government employment opportunities.
With Sahukar suspended, the senior-most member of the Commission has been asked to discharge the duties of chairman until further orders.
The development is expected to trigger political debate in Karnataka in the coming days, even as attention shifts to the proposed inquiry and whether the allegations can be substantiated before the Supreme Court.
