Mvp Aradhya, Vs Sri S.R. Umashankar IAS — Contempt of Court | Karnataka HC (2025)

Mvp Aradhya, Vs Sri S.R. Umashankar IAS — Contempt of Court | Karnataka HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

No contempt punishment imposed; the complainant-petitioner's recourse to available remedies in accordance with law kept open without opinion on merits; contempt petition disposed of.

Issue for consideration

Whether contempt proceedings should be initiated against the accused/respondents and they punished for wilful disobedience of the order/direction dated 24.06.2024 in W.P.No.9782/2024 (GM-POLICE) passed by this court.

Ratio / Principle

The complainant-petitioner's recourse to the remedy available to him in accordance with law is kept open, without expressing any opinion on merits in that regard.

Key takeaways

In light of the B-report filed by the police dated 03.03.2025 and the complainant's submission that nothing survived in the petition, the contempt petition is disposed of accordingly.ratio¶38

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Contempt petition (CCC No. 1210 of 2024, Civil) filed under Sections 11 and 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 r/w Article 215 of the Constitution of India by MVP Aradhya (President, Bapuji Education Trust, Shivamogga) against the Secretary to Home Department (S.R. Umashankar, I.A.S.), the Superintendent of Police, Shivamogga (GK Mithun Kumar, IPS), the Inspector of Police, CEN Crime Branch Police Station, Shivamogga (Manjunath), and the State of Karnataka, for alleged wilful disobedience of the order/direction dated 24.06.2024 in W.P.No.9782/2024 (GM-POLICE) passed by learned Single Judge of the court. Judgment dated 04.03.2025 delivered per Chief Justice N. V. Anjaria with Justice M.I. Arun on the bench. The Additional Government Advocate (S.H. Raghavendra) stated that a B-report dated 03.03.2025 had been filed by the police before the Principal Civil Judge (Sr. Dn) and CJM Court, Shivamogga; its xerox copy was taken on record. The complainant's advocate (Chetan Jadhav) submitted that nothing survived in the petition and sought liberty to pursue lawful remedies. The court kept such recourse open without expressing any opinion on merits and disposed of the contempt petition accordingly.

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NC: 2025:KHC:9271-DB CCC No. 1210 of 2024

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

DATED THIS THE 4^TH DAY OF MARCH, 2025

PRESENT

THE HON'BLE MR. N. V. ANJARIA, CHIEF JUSTICE

AND

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.I.ARUN CCC NO. 1210 OF 2024 (CIVIL)

BETWEEN:

MVP ARADHYA,

S/O. PANCHAKSHARAIAH M., AGED ABOUT 70 YEARS,

OCC. PRESIDENT, BAPUJI EDUCATION TRUST (R), HONNALLI, SAVALANGA ROAD, SHIVAMOGGA DISTRICT - 577 216.

…COMPLAINANT

(BY SRI CHETAN JADHAV, ADVOCATE)

AND:

Digitally signed by PRABHAKAR SWETHA KRISHNAN Location: High Court of Karnataka

SRI S.R. UMASHANKAR, I.A.S., SECRETARY TO HOME DEPARTMENT, M.S. BUILDING DR. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BANGALORE - 560 001.

SRI GK MITHUN KUMAR IPS, SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, SHIVAMOGGA DISTRICT, SHIVAMOGGA - 577 203.

SRI MANJUNATH, THE INSPECTOR OF POLICE,

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NC: 2025:KHC:9271-DB CCC No. 1210 of 2024

CEN CRIME BRANCH POLICE STATION, SHIVAMOGGA - 577 203.

STATE OF KARNATAKA SECRETARY TO HOME DEPARTMENT GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA

VIDHANA SOUDHA, BANGALORE - 560 001.

…ACCUSED

(BY SRI S.H. RAGHAVENDRA, AGA)

THIS CCC IS FILED UNDER SECTIONS 11 AND 12 OF THE CONTEMPT OF COURT ACT, 1971, R/W ARTICLE 215 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA R/W BY THE COMPLAINANT, WHEREIN PRAYS THAT THE HON'BLE COURT MAY BE PLEASED TO INITIATE CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE ACCUSED FOR NOT COMPLYING WITH THE ORDER/DIRECTION DATED 24.06.2024 IN W.P.NO.9782/2024 (GM-POLICE) PASSED BY THIS HON'BLE COURT AND PUNISH THE RESPONDENTS FOR WILFUL DISOBEDIENCE, IN EXERCISE OF THE POWERS UNDER ARTICLE 215 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA R/W SECTIONS 11 AND 12 OF THE CONTEMPT OF COURTS ACT, 1971.

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, JUDGMENT WAS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE MR. JUSTICE N. V. ANJARIA and

HON'BLE MR JUSTICE M.I.ARUN

ORAL JUDGMENT

(PER: HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE MR. JUSTICE N. V. ANJARIA)

Learned Additional Government Advocate

Mr. S.H. Raghavendra for the respondent-State stated with reference to the directions issued by learned Single Judge brought

3 - NC: 2025:KHC:9271-DB CCC No. 1210 of 2024

under the contempt jurisdiction that, before the court of Principal Civil Judge (Sr. Dn) and CJM Court, Shivamogga, B-report is filed by the police dated 03.03.2025. Zerox copy of the report is taken on record.

Learned advocate Mr. Chetan Jadhav for the complainant fairly submitted that nothing will survive in this petition in light of the above developments. He requested that the complainant-petitioner may be permitted to take recourse to the remedy available to him in accordance with law.

Such course is kept open however, without expressing any opinion on merits in that regard.

The contempt petition is disposed of accordingly.

Sd/(N. V. ANJARIA) CHIEF JUSTICE

Sd/(M.I.ARUN) JUDGE

DDU

List No.: 1 Sl No.: 68