Bengaluru: High Court raps government for arbitrary KPSC appointments

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has strongly criticised the state government for appointing members to the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) without following a transparent and structured selection process. The court remarked that the Commission cannot be filled with arbitrary selections, and only eligible candidates recommended by a duly constituted Search Committee should be appointed.

A division bench comprising Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice Ramachandra D Huddar observed that KPSC is a statutory constitutional body, and appointments to such a body must be made with utmost care and as per constitutional norms. The court noted with concern that currently, there is no established procedure or Search Committee in place for such appointments.

The bench stated that making appointments without a Search Committee amounts to a violation of constitutional principles. It directed the state government to submit, within 15 days, a clear procedure for forming a Search Committee and appointing members to the Commission.

Government asked to define appointment process

The matter was heard while dealing with petitions filed by engineers Vishwas and others, in connection with alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Assistant Executive Engineers in the Drinking Water Supply Department. KPSC had recommended the termination of some officials involved. The Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT) had earlier rejected petitions seeking a stay on this recommendation.

CBI probe unnecessary, says Advocate General

During the hearing, the petitioners’ counsel stated that they would welcome a court-monitored CBI investigation. However, the Advocate General objected, arguing that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had already handled eight related cases effectively and filed charge sheets in competent courts.

He informed the court that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has successfully investigated a range of recruitment-related cases. This includes 65 cases connected to the recruitment of Police Sub-Inspectors (PSI) and police constables, as well as 8 cases involving irregularities in the SDA examination. Furthermore, the CID has looked into 3 cases linked to the appointments of High School Grade-1 teachers and 5 cases regarding the recruitment of Assistant Engineers in the Water Resources Department. They also handled 1 case concerning the appointments of Urdu Primary School teachers. In addition to these recruitment cases, the CID managed the high-profile Bitcoin case with notable efficiency.

Given the CID’s proven track record and deployment of capable officers, the Advocate General submitted that a CBI investigation is not necessary in this matter.