Mallappa Chokka Vs the Stae of Karnataka — Contempt of Court | Karnataka HC (2025)

Mallappa Chokka Vs the Stae of Karnataka — Contempt of Court | Karnataka HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Contempt proceedings dropped; petition disposed of.

Issue for consideration

Whether respondent Nos.2 and 3 (accused Nos.1 and 2) willfully disobeyed the order dated 27.11.2024 passed in WP No.201471/2024, warranting initiation of contempt proceedings and imposition of penalty. +1 more

Ratio / Principle

The Court took on record the compliance memo filed by the learned DSGI showing that the Office of the Accountant General (A and E), Karnataka, Bengaluru issued an intimation of pensionary benefits dated 11.06.2025 to the Executive Officer, Taluk Panchayth, Shahapur, Yadigiri District.

Key takeaways

The compliance of the order dated 27.11.2024 passed in WP No.201471/2024 was not disputed by the learned counsel for the complainant.ratio¶45
In light of the compliance effected and not disputed, the contempt proceedings are dropped and the petition is disposed of.ratio¶46

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Civil Contempt Petition No. 200087 of 2025 (High Court of Karnataka, Kalaburagi Bench; oral order dated 16.06.2025, per Mohammad Nawaz, J., bench of Mohammad Nawaz and K S Hemalekha, JJ.). The complainant, a retired Gram Panchayat Secretary, sought initiation of contempt proceedings under Sections 11 and 12 of the Contempt of Court Act against the respondents for alleged willful disobedience of the High Court's order dated 27.11.2024 in WP No.201471/2024, which had directed the Executive Officer, Taluka Panchayat, Shahapur to secure and forward the relevant records to the Accountant General within six weeks, and the Accountant General to process and settle the pension papers within eight weeks of receipt. The learned DSGI filed a compliance memo showing that the Office of the Accountant General (A and E), Karnataka, Bengaluru issued an intimation of pensionary benefits dated 11.06.2025, endorsing a copy to the complainant and authorizing pensionary benefits to the District Treasury Officer, Shorapur. Compliance was not disputed by the complainant's counsel; the delay was explained as due to administrative bona fide reasons. Holding compliance effected, the Court dropped the contempt proceedings and disposed of the petition. No precedent was cited and no costs or penalty imposed.

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NC: 2025:KHC-K:3074-DB CCC No. 200087 of 2025

HC-KAR

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA,

KALABURAGI BENCH

DATED THIS THE 16^TH DAY OF JUNE, 2025

PRESENT

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MOHAMMAD NAWAZ

AND

THE HON'BLE Mrs JUSTICE K S HEMALEKHA

CIVIL CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 200087 OF 2025

BETWEEN:

MALLAPPA CHOKKA S/O SHARANAPPA CHOKKA AGED ABOUT 63 YEARS OCC:RETIRED AS GRAM PANCHAYAT SECRETARY, TADIBIDI PANCHAYATHI, TQ. SHAHAPUR DIST.YADGIR, R/O:SATYANPET, TQ. SURPUR, DIST:YADGIR-585224.

…COMPLAINANT

Digitally signed by KHAJAAMEEN MALAGHAN Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

(BY SRI. DANAPPA P PANIBHATE, ADVOCATE)

AND:

THE STATE OF KARNATAKA, DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT, AND PANCHAYATH RAJ M.S. BUILDING, BENGALURU560001. REP. BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY.

…PROFORMA PARTY

MS. SMITA GOPAL ACCOUNTANT GENERAL (A AND E) KARNATAKA P. B. NO.5329/5369 ANNEXURE, BUILDING PARK, HOUSE ROAD, BENGALURU-560001. REPRESENTED BY ACCOUNTS OFFICER.

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NC: 2025:KHC-K:3074-DB CCC No. 200087 of 2025

HC-KAR

SRI. CHANNAPA RAYANNAVAR THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER TALUKA PANCHAYATI SEDAM-585108. KALABURAGI-585101.

…ACCUSED

(BY SRI.SHIVAKUMAR R. TENGLI, AGA FOR R1; SRI.SUDHIRSINGH R. VIJAPUR, DSGI FOR R2)

THIS CCC FILED U/SEC. 11 AND 12 OF THE CONTEMPT OF COURT ACT, PRAYED TO, i) INITIATE CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST ACCUSED/RESPONDENT NO. 3 AND 5 FOR DISOBEYING THE HON’BLE HIGH COURT DIRECTIONS ORDERS DATED 27.11.2024 IN ANNEXURE-A WP NO. 201471/2024 AND PASS APPROPRIATE ORDER, IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE BY UPHOLDING THE LAWFUL ORDER OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT. II) PUNISH THE ACCUSED BY IMPOSING THE MAXIMUM PENALTY AND SENTENCE FOR VIOLATING THE ORDER OF THIS HON’BLE COURT.

THIS PETITION IS COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MOHAMMAD NAWAZ AND

HON'BLE Mrs JUSTICE K S HEMALEKHA ORAL ORDER

(PER: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MOHAMMAD NAWAZ)

The complaint is filed to initiate contempt proceedings against respondent Nos.2 and 3/accused Nos.1 and 2, before this Court, alleging willful disobedience of the order dated 27.11.2024 passed in WP No.201471/2024.

3 - NC: 2025:KHC-K:3074-DB CCC No. 200087 of 2025

HC-KAR

The said order reads as under:

“ b) Respondent No.3 – Executive Officer, Taluka Panchayat, Shahapur is hereby directed to secure all relevant records cited supra and send the same forthwith to respondent No.5 – Accountant General to enable the authority to process the pension papers of the petitioners.

c) Respondent No.3 shall resend the file pertaining to petitioner within a period of six weeks from the date of receipt of certified copy of this order.

d) From the date of receipt of the pension papers forwarded by respondent No.2, respondent No.5 shall process the pension papers and settle the same within an outer limit of eight weeks from the date of receipt of file from respondent No.3.”

The learned DSGI appearing for respondent No.2/accused No.2 has filed the compliance memo. It is stated that, in compliance of the order passed by this Court in W.P No.201471/2024 dated 27.11.2024, the Office of the Accountant General (A and E), Karnataka, Bengaluru, has issued an intimation of pensionary benefits to the Executive Officer, Taluk Panchayth, Shahapur, Yadigiri District, dated 11.06.2025, endorsing a copy to the complainant and the

4 - NC: 2025:KHC-K:3074-DB CCC No. 200087 of 2025

HC-KAR

Authorization of pensionary benefits to the District Treasury Officer, Shorapur, Yadigiri District.

Learned DSGI submits that the order passed by this Court has been complied. He submitted that the delay caused in complying the order is not intentional, but due to administrative bonafide reasons.

The compliance of the order is not disputed by the learned counsel for the complainant.

In light of the above, the contempt proceedings are dropped and the petition is disposed of.

SD/(MOHAMMAD NAWAZ) JUDGE

SD/(K S HEMALEKHA) JUDGE

THM List No.: 1 Sl No.: 6 CT:JLR