Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah.
Credit: DH Photo
Much to the embarrassment of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the higher education department has refused to give a clean chit to a senior professor of Kuvempu University, who is recommended by the CM to be appointed as a member of the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC).
Prof H S Bhojya Naik, head of the department of Industrial Chemistry, has been recommended for the vacant post of a member in the KPSC.
In a reply to the opinion sought by chief secretary, Higher Education Minister Dr M C Sudhakar on Saturday sent the file back, saying that the department could not give Naik a clean chit, highly placed sources from the higher education department
told DH.
The sources said, the minister had refused to give a clean chit, citing the pending report on corruption charges against Naik before the Lokayukta.
“The case was with Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). As the ACB wound up, all the cases have been transferred to Lokayukta. Though the departmental inquiry is over, the department cannot give a clean chit, while corruption charges are still pending,” sources said.
A couple of days ago, Siddaramaiah recommended three names for the posts of members at the KPSC, including Naik.
As Naik is still an employee of the Kuvempu University and comes under the higher education department, the office of the chief secretary had sought the opinion of the higher education department.
In 2022, the candidacy of Naik for the post of vice-chancellor at the University of Mysore was rejected, as there was an inquiry pending against him with the Lokayukta.
What are the charges?
Naik is alleged of financial irregularities during his tenure as registrar (both administration and evaluation) at the Kuvempu University. As per the complaint pending before the Lokayukta, Naik had allegedly misappropriated funds to the tune of Rs 50 crore at the university.