Wife of KPSC member-select was indicted for faking quota certificate

Govindaiah's spouse had secured teacher's job with bogus document

Even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is learnt to have recommended the name of his close aide and progressive thinker H Gov­in­daiah as a member of Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), the latter finds himself on a sticky wicket.

Govindaiah’s wife Gopamma has been found guilty of obtaining a fake caste certificate, according to an order issued by Tahsildar Naveen Joseph.

B R Gopamma originally belongs to ‘Kodagu Gowda’ caste which comes under Category 3A but she is married to Govindaiah, a dailt. However, Gopamma obtained a teacher’s job, reserved for dalits, at an educational institution by producing a fake caste certificate claiming her to be a member of a scheduled caste.

Gopamma had obtained the caste certificate twice in 1986 (ICCPR-86/86-87) and in 2000 (CC No 7948/01). Following this, R S Mahadev from Ravandur in Piriyapatna taluk had lodged a complaint in this regard at the deputy commissioner’s office on September 12, 2011.

The tahsildar, who investigated the complaint found Gopamma guilty and eventually revoked her certificate on June 28, 2013. Unfazed, Gopamma moved the High Court (Writ 33848/2013) which quashed the tahsildar’s order.

The court, in its order dated June 12, 2014, directed the District Caste Verification Committee, headed by deputy commissioner, to closely examine the veracity of the claims.

The committee in its order on Oct 23 found the allegations true and directed the tahsildar to cancel the caste certificate.

The tahsildar had issued an order to quash the certificate on November 7. In a press release, Mahadev has appealed to the authorities concerned to file a criminal case against Gopamma, and also to drop the name of Govindaiah from being considered for the KPSC member’s post.
DH News Service