Overview
- Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot placed KPSC chairman Shivashankarappa S. Sahukar under suspension on Monday, July 13, and directed the senior-most KPSC member to discharge the chairman’s functions while investigations proceed.
- Vidhana Soudha police registered an FIR on July 10 against Sahukar’s daughter Suma after KPSC complained that her income and caste certificate declared the family’s annual income as ₹40,000 and verification found that declaration to be false.
- Raj Bhavan said its preliminary scrutiny of Sahukar’s income and property returns produced prima facie material of misbehaviour and alleged he failed to recuse himself while his daughters were candidates in recruitments he oversaw.
- The governor has recommended to the President a reference under Article 317(1), which requires the President to ask the Supreme Court to hold an inquiry before any formal removal of a public service commission member can proceed.
- If the Supreme Court inquiry finds misconduct the chairman can be removed and the case could trigger criminal charges over forged documents, tighter conflict-of-interest safeguards at KPSC, and reviews of other recruitments.