Govt gets HC rebuke for 'sketchy' objection in KPSC case

The High Court on Thursday censured the government for not disclosing all the details in the statement of objections on the PILs that question the irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commissioner (KPSC) selections in 1998, 1999 and 2004.

A division bench of Justices N Kumar and B Veerappa was appalled the government failed to mention crucial details in the objections, though it mentioned them in a previous affidavit. It also demanded why the government didn’t act against those named in a 2012 report by the CID, as it had promised.

The bench also sought to know the reasons cited by Governor Vajubhai Vala for not selecting certain officials for the post of KPSC chairman. The court ordered the government to explain the reasons given by a single-bench of the High Court for not quashing the proceedings against former KPSC chairman Dr H N Krishna.

The bench is dictating its ruling on a batch of PILs that have sought quashing of the selection of candidates for the posts of gazetted probationaries in 1998, 1999 and 2004. The bench said that before the completion of the ruling, the government must inform it whether it will file an SLP in the Supreme Court against eight KPSC members against whom the High Court quashed the proceedings. More than 700 candidate were appointed in those years and many have completed 18 years of service.