The Karnataka High Court has refused to quash criminal charges against Suma S Sahukar, the daughter of suspended Karnataka Public Service Commission chairman Shivashankarappa S Sahukar, characterizing her submission of an allegedly false income certificate to obtain reservation benefits as fraud.
The petitioner faced charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhitha for forgery, forging electronic records, and using forged documents as genuine. She had applied in March 2024 for the position of Junior Engineer (Civil) in the Department of Industries and Commerce under the Category 3B reservation quota, which is restricted to families earning less than Rs 8 lakh annually. To meet the eligibility criteria, she allegedly submitted an income certificate declaring her family’s annual income as Rs 40,000, despite her father holding a high-paying public post.
Court Labels Income Declaration Prima Facie Deception
During the hearing, Justice M Nagaprasanna observed that the act effectively deprived eligible candidates from low-income backgrounds of a fair chance at selection. Addressing the petitioner’s submission of an annual family income of Rs 40,000 against her father’s actual annual earnings of approximately Rs 30 lakh, the court described the declaration as a prima facie fraud and an attempt to mislead selection authorities.
The defense, represented by Senior Advocate Arun Shyam, argued that the first information report was registered without an initial inquiry or verification as mandated by state reservation rules. The court dismissed this argument, holding that preliminary inquiries were unnecessary where no ambiguity existed, given that the applicant’s father earned a monthly salary exceeding Rs 2 lakh as commission chief.
Defense Withdraws Petition Following Court Remarks
When counsel explained that the applicant mistakenly reported her personal income rather than her family’s total income, the bench noted that candidates seeking entry into government service must understand basic eligibility norms and declared the matter an open-and-shut case. Following observations from Special Public Prosecutor B N Jagadeesha that the applicant could not claim protection reserved for marginalized communities, the petitioner chose to withdraw the plea. The court allowed the withdrawal while reserving liberty to challenge the FIR.
Verification Uncovers Major Discrepancy
The discrepancies were identified during routine document verification conducted by the recruitment authority. Official records showed that Shivashankarappa S Sahukar was appointed as a member of the commission in September 2019 on a basic monthly salary of Rs 2.05 lakh, before assuming the role of chairman in April 2021 with a basic monthly salary of Rs 2.25 lakh plus allowances.
The decision follows a recent order by a Bengaluru sessions court granting anticipatory bail to the applicant. Meanwhile, Shivashankarappa S Sahukar has separately petitioned the Karnataka High Court to challenge his suspension from the commission.
