Bengaluru: Embattled Karnataka Public Service Commission chairman Shivashankarappa S Sahukar, facing allegations of helping his daughters secure govt jobs, faces suspension and a fresh probe after the Karnataka cabinet Friday made a recommendation in this regard to the governor.This comes days after his first suspension was struck down on technical grounds.Sahukar has been under a cloud over allegations that he helped get his daughters illegally appointed as industrial extension officers. Gehlot ordered his suspension in July and referred the matter to the President for a Supreme Court-led inquiry. But Karnataka high court quashed that order earlier this week, ruling that the governor had acted without the mandatory advice of the state cabinet, as required under Article 317(2).With the cabinet’s advice with Lok Bhavan, the governor is expected to refer the matter to the President for concurrence, after which it would go to the Supreme Court for an inquiry into Sahukar’s removal from office.Sahukar was appointed KPSC chairman in 2021 by the then BJP govt. With the CID, ED (which recently raided his premises) and now the cabinet closing in, he faces his toughest test yet to hold on to the post.Sahukar’s troubles go beyond the OBC certificate case involving his daughters. A CID probe is also underway into the Jan 8 exam for 400 veterinary officer posts in the animal husbandry and fisheries department, whose final list came out on July 17.The probe began after aspirant Dr Manjunath filed a complaint on July 25, alleging 29 candidates had unauthorised access to question papers before the test. Several relatives of the chairman, KPSC members and staff are said to have secured top ranks in the list. The complaint also names a relative of Sahukar — Soogresh Jaka, who reportedly scored over 450 marks despite having failed subjects in his degree course earlier.Middlemen allegedly demanded Rs 80 lakh from candidates after the exam, with Rs 40 lakh sought upfront to manipulate OMR sheets and secure selections.Sahukar has been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating, along with Karnataka Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Corruption and Unfair Means of Recruitment) Act 2023. His anticipatory bail plea was rejected on Aug 11.He has maintained that the case against him is “politically motivated” and denied any kinship with the accused candidates. The CID has told the court that forensic analysis of 329 seized OMR sheets is currently underway.Separately, legislator Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Dr Manjunath have moved petitions in the high court seeking a CBI probe into both cases. While those pleas are pending, the court has granted the 29 candidate-beneficiaries in the veterinary recruitment case temporary protection from coercive police action.
