Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) Chairman Shivshankrappa S. Sahukar was placed under suspension by Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Monday, 13 July, pending further orders from the President of India, following allegations that he facilitated the unlawful recruitment of his two daughters as Industrial Extension Officers. The Governor has also recommended that the matter be referred to the Supreme Court under Article 317(1) of the Constitution of India for a formal inquiry.

Key Allegations Against the KPSC Chairman

According to an official statement issued by Special Secretary to the Governor R. Prabhushankar, the complaints allege that Sahukar actively facilitated the selection of his two daughters for posts of Industrial Extension Officer through unlawful means. One of his daughters is alleged to have obtained an income and caste certificate by declaring the family's annual income as ₹40,000 — a figure that reportedly misrepresented the family's actual earnings, which allegedly exceeded the prescribed limit.

By doing so, she is alleged to have claimed reservation under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category and secured exemption from the creamy layer criteria by suppressing material facts. The complaint further notes that she was fully aware her father was serving as the KPSC Chairman at the time of her application.

Constitutional Bar Allegedly Violated

The complaint invokes a Government Order dated 3 March 2002, which explicitly bars children of a Public Service Commission Chairman from claiming reservation under the Backward Classes quota in Karnataka. According to the complaint, both Sahukar and his daughter suppressed this material information to obtain undue benefits — an act the complaint says could not have occurred without administrative oversight or deliberate negligence at the highest level of the Commission.

The statement also notes that income and property returns submitted by Sahukar, along with other documentary records, prima facie point towards misconduct on his part.

What the Governor Has Ordered

Governor Gehlot has taken a two-pronged action: suspending Sahukar with immediate effect until further presidential orders, and recommending a Supreme Court inquiry under Article 317(1) of the Constitution — a provision specifically designed to ensure impartiality in inquiries against Public Service Commission members, who cannot ordinarily be removed without presidential sanction.

To prevent any influence over the ongoing investigation, the Governor has directed that the senior-most member of the KPSC shall discharge the functions of the Chairman until further orders.

Why This Case Matters

The KPSC is constitutionally mandated to ensure merit-based, impartial recruitment to state government posts. Allegations of the Chairman himself manipulating recruitment — particularly by exploiting OBC reservation provisions through falsified income declarations — strike at the credibility of the entire public appointments process in Karnataka. This comes amid broader national scrutiny of reservation misuse and the integrity of state public service commissions.

Notably, Article 317(1) referrals to the Supreme Court are rare and underscore the gravity with which the Governor's office has treated the complaint. The matter now awaits a response from the President of India and, potentially, a formal Supreme Court-led inquiry that could set a precedent for accountability within state commissions.