<p>The High Court of Karnataka has ordered issuing a notice to the state government in a petition seeking the removal of H C Sathyan as State Information Commissioner, Karnataka Information Commission (KIC). </p>.<p>The petition alleged that Sathyan was appointed despite a trial underway against him under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act on charges of disproportionate assets. Justice Krishna S Dixit also directed issuing a notice to Sathyan. </p>.<p>The petition was filed by Committee for Public Accountability, a Bengaluru-based charitable trust. The petition stated that Sathyan was an employee of the state transport department. </p>.<p>According to the petitioner, the selection committee consisting of the chief minister, the leader of the opposition and another cabinet minister, in its proceedings held on February 14, 2022, had considered the application of Sathyan. The petitioner alleged that Sathyan had suppressed the fact that a criminal case filed against him by the Lokayukta police was pending before the Additional District and Sessions Court in Mysuru. On April 18, 2022, Sathyan was appointed as the Information Commissioner. </p>.<p>The petition claimed the Lokayukta police had filed the charge sheet in the disproportionate assets case on August 31, 2012. The petitioner submitted that though Sathyan had challenged the order granting sanction for prosecution, it was dismissed by the high court and the matter attained finality in 2019 when the Supreme Court dismissed the review as well as curative petitions. </p>.<p>The petition said as per Section 15 (5) of the Right to Information Act 2005, the State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioners shall be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance. </p>.<p>The petitioner submitted that the post of Information Commissioner being a quasi-judicial position, only a person of eminence with impeccable integrity ought to have been selected. "In the present case, when 3rd respondent (H C Sathyan) is accused of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, he could not have been appointed to the said post," the petition said. </p>
<p>The High Court of Karnataka has ordered issuing a notice to the state government in a petition seeking the removal of H C Sathyan as State Information Commissioner, Karnataka Information Commission (KIC). </p>.<p>The petition alleged that Sathyan was appointed despite a trial underway against him under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act on charges of disproportionate assets. Justice Krishna S Dixit also directed issuing a notice to Sathyan. </p>.<p>The petition was filed by Committee for Public Accountability, a Bengaluru-based charitable trust. The petition stated that Sathyan was an employee of the state transport department. </p>.<p>According to the petitioner, the selection committee consisting of the chief minister, the leader of the opposition and another cabinet minister, in its proceedings held on February 14, 2022, had considered the application of Sathyan. The petitioner alleged that Sathyan had suppressed the fact that a criminal case filed against him by the Lokayukta police was pending before the Additional District and Sessions Court in Mysuru. On April 18, 2022, Sathyan was appointed as the Information Commissioner. </p>.<p>The petition claimed the Lokayukta police had filed the charge sheet in the disproportionate assets case on August 31, 2012. The petitioner submitted that though Sathyan had challenged the order granting sanction for prosecution, it was dismissed by the high court and the matter attained finality in 2019 when the Supreme Court dismissed the review as well as curative petitions. </p>.<p>The petition said as per Section 15 (5) of the Right to Information Act 2005, the State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioners shall be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance. </p>.<p>The petitioner submitted that the post of Information Commissioner being a quasi-judicial position, only a person of eminence with impeccable integrity ought to have been selected. "In the present case, when 3rd respondent (H C Sathyan) is accused of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, he could not have been appointed to the said post," the petition said. </p>
