Smt Gowramma vs Sri Munish Moudgil Ias
2026 Latest Caselaw 2840 Kant

Karnataka High Court

Smt Gowramma vs Sri Munish Moudgil Ias on 1 April, 2026

                                            -1-
                                                     NC: 2026:KHC:17810-DB
                                                      CCC No. 1079 of 2025


                 HC-KAR



                     IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

                           DATED THIS THE 1ST DAY OF APRIL, 2026

                                         PRESENT
                      THE HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE
                                            AND
                          THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA
                          CIVIL CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 1079 OF 2025
                BETWEEN:

                1.   SMT GOWRAMMA
                     AGED ABOUT 68 YEARS
                     W/O LATE SAMPAGERE KRISHNAPPA,

                2.   G. K. LAXMINARAYANA
                     AGED ABOUT 51 YEARS,
                     S/O. LATE SAMPAGERE KRISHNAPPA,

                3.   K. SRINIVAS
                     AGED ABOUT 48 YEARS,
                     S/O. LATE SAMPAGERE KRISHNAPPA,
Digitally
signed by
VEERENDRA
KUMAR K M       4.   K. VENKATAPATHI
Location:            AGED ABOUT 46 YEARS,
High Court of        S/O. LATE SAMPAGERE KRISHNAPPA,
Karnataka

                5.   SMT. HEMAVATHI
                     AGED ABOUT 42 YEARS,
                     D/O. LATE SAMPAGERE KRISHNAPPA,

                6.   SMT. PREMA
                     AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS,
                     D/O. LATE SAMPAGERE KRISHNAPPA,
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                                  NC: 2026:KHC:17810-DB
                                   CCC No. 1079 of 2025


 HC-KAR




     ALL ARE RESIDING AT
     GANAGALURU VILLAGE,
     ANAGONDANAHALLI HOBLI,
     HOSAKOTE TALUK,
     BENGALURU RURAL DISTRICT,
     BENGALURU-563 130.
                                        ...COMPLAINANTS

(BY SRI. VIKRAM HUILGIL, SR. ADVOCATE
 FOR SRI KARTHIK V., ADVOCATE)

AND:

1.   SRI MUNISH MOUDGIL (IAS),
     S/O NOT KNOWN TO THE COMPLAINANTS
     AGED ABOUT MAJOR
     SECRETARY
     REVENUE DEPARTMENT
     STATE OF KARNATAKA
     BENGALURU - 560 001

2.   SRI DURGASHREE N
     W/O NOT KNOWN TO THE COMPLAINANTS
     AGED ABOUT MAJOR
     ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER
     DODDABALLAPURA SUB-DIVISION
     DODDABALLAPURA - 561 203

3.   SRI. H.G. NAGANNA GOWDA
     S/O NOT KNOWN TO THE COMPLAINANTS
     AGED ABOUT MAJOR
     TAHSILDAR
     HOSAKOTE TALUK
     HOSAKOTE 562 114
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                                  NC: 2026:KHC:17810-DB
                                   CCC No. 1079 of 2025


 HC-KAR




     BENGALURU RURAL DISTRICT,
     BENGALURU - 562 114.
                                      ...ACCUSED
4.  THE STATE OF KARNATAKA
    REPRESENTED BY ITS
    SECRETARY
    DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
    M.S. BUILDING
    BENGALURU - 560 001
                            ...PRO FORMA RESPONDENT
(BY SRI S.H. RAGHAVENDRA, AGA)

      THIS CCC IS FILED UNDER SECTION 11 AND 12 OF THE

CONTEMPT OF COURTS ACT, BY THE COMPLAINANT,

PRAYING TO INITIATE CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST

THE ACCUSED FOR HAVING DISOBEYED THE ORDER

PASSED BY THIS HONBLE COURT DATED 04.09.2024 IN WP

NO.22576/2022 (KLR-RES) A COPY OF WHICH IS PRODUCED

AT ANNEXURE-C,    PUNISH THE ACCUSED FOR WILLFULLY

AND DELIBERATELY DISOBEYING THE ORDERS PASSED BY

THIS HONBLE COURT.


      THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY,

ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:
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                                            NC: 2026:KHC:17810-DB
                                             CCC No. 1079 of 2025


 HC-KAR




CORAM: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE
       and
       HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA
                            ORAL ORDER

(PER: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE)

1. The complainant has filed the present complaint alleging

willful disobedience of the order dated 04.09.2024, passed by

the learned Single Judge in Writ Petition No.7170/2023

(KLR-RES) C/w. Writ Petition No.22576/2022 (KLR-RES),

whereby Writ Petition No.7170/20223 was allowed and Writ

Petition No.22576/2022 was allowed in-part and directions were

issued to the concerned authorities/respondents to "consider the

recommendation made by the respondent No2/Assistant

Commissioner." Clause (ii) and (iii) of the operative portion of

the said order are set out below:

" (ii) W.P.No.22576/2022 is allowed-in-part. The respondents shall consider the recommendation made by the respondent No.2/Assistant Commissioner as per Annexure-J and after verifying the records shall pass appropriate orders in accordance with law;

(iii) This order will not come in the way of the competent authority to hold an enquiry to ascertain whether the grant is genuine:"

2. Learned Senior Counsel appearing for the complainant

submits that although the recommendations have been

NC: 2026:KHC:17810-DB

HC-KAR

considered by the Tahsildar, however, the endorsement issued

is wholly unsustainable as it seeks to overrule the

recommendations. He submits that the Tahsildar cannot sit over

the decision of the Assistant Commissioner.

3. Learned counsel appearing for the accused summits that

the said directions also include verification of the records and the

endorsement is issued after the records have been verified.

4. In view of the above, we do not consider it an apposite to

initiate any proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

However, we clarify that this order will not preclude the

complainant from availing any substantive remedies if aggrieved

by any order or action of the Tahsildar or any other authority.

5. In view of the above, this Contempt Petition stands closed.

Sd/-

(VIBHU BAKHRU) CHIEF JUSTICE

Sd/-

(C.M. POONACHA) JUDGE

BK : List No.: 2 Sl No.: 24