Sri P Sathish Vs the State of Karnataka — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2025)

Sri P Sathish Vs the State of Karnataka — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

None; the Court permitted the petition to be withdrawn as infructuous and passed no directions on the prayers.

Issue for consideration

Whether the respondent authorities should be directed to consider the representations submitted by the petitioners, villagers and devotees and open the sealed entrance of the Pattaladhamma Devi Temple, Hampapura Village, so as to enable devotees to enter, conduct daily pooja and other rituals as per customs and rites, and conduct the temple festival. +2 more

Ratio / Principle

In view of the memo filed by counsel for the petitioners stating that the petition had become infructuous and would not be pressed, the Court disposed of the writ petition as withdrawn; no prayer was adjudicated on the merits.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Writ Petition No. 15093 of 2025 (GM-R/C), High Court of Karnataka at Bengaluru (B M Shyam Prasad, J.), oral order dated 7 August 2025. Ten residents of Hampapura Village, Keragodu Hobli, Mandya Taluk (through Sri. Chaluvaraju M D., Advocate) filed this petition under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India seeking (i) directions to the respondent authorities to consider their representations and open the sealed entrance of the Pattaladhamma Devi Temple so devotees could enter and conduct daily pooja, rituals and the temple festival; (ii) appointment of petitioner No.10 as new priest; and (iii) termination/removal of respondents No.6 to 9 as priests and enquiry into alleged illegalities concerning the temple's movable and immovable assets. Respondents comprised the State of Karnataka (Department of Revenue and Mujarai), the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, the Taluk Executive Magistrate/Tahsildar, Mandya, and four private individuals of Habbada Maranahalli Village. When the matter came on for orders, counsel filed a memo stating the petition had become infructuous and would not be pressed; the Court accordingly disposed of the petition as withdrawn. No issue was adjudicated on the merits; no precedent was cited; no costs or quantum figure appears.

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HC-KAR

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 7^TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2025

BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE B M SHYAM PRASAD WRIT PETITION NO. 15093 OF 2025 (GM-R/C)

BETWEEN:

SRI P SATHISH S/O LATE PUTTALINGAIAH, AGED ABOUT 46 YEARS,

SRI PUTTASWAMY S/O SANAIDHAIAH, AGED ABOUT 60 YEARS

SRI KEMPABORAIAH S/O ALTE HUCCHABORAIAH AGED ABOUT 60 YEARS

Digitally signed by VANAMALA N

Location: High Court of Karnataka

SRI CHALUVAIAH, S/O LATE KALAIAH, AGED ABOUT 55 YEARS

SRI RAJU S/O SRI BORAIAH, AGED ABOUT 40 YEARS

SRI SANTHOSH S/O LATE NINGAIAH, AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS

SRI CHIKKAIAH, S/O LATE SINGADHAIAH, AGED ABOUT 62 YEARS

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SRI RAJESH H J S/O SRI JAVARAIAH, AGED ABOUT 35 YEARS

SRI CHIKKA BOMMAIAH, S/O LATE EERA BOMMAIAH, AGED ABOUT 36 YEARS

SRI MANCHAIAH S/O LATE CHIKKA THAMMAIAH, AGED ABOUT 57 YEARS

PETITIONERS No.1TO 10 ARE RESIDENTS OF HAMPAPURA VILLAGE, KERAGODU HOBLI, MANDYA TALUK, MANDYA DISTRICT MANDYA - 571401.

…PETITIONERS

(BY SRI. CHALUVARAJU M D.,ADVOCATE)

AND:

THE STATE OF KARNATAKA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE AND MUJARAI, REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY, VIDHANA SOUDHA BENGALURU - 560001.

THE COMMISSIONER OF HINDU RELIGIOUS AND CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS, M.S.BUILDING BENGALURU - 560001.

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THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF HINDU RELIGIOUS AND CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS, MANDYA DISTRICT MANDYA - 571401.

THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF HINDU RELIGIOUS AND CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS MANDYA SUB-DIVISION, MANDYA - 571401.

THE TALUK EXECUTIVE MAGISTRATE AND TAHSILDAR MANDYA TALUK MANDYA DISTRICT MANDYA - 571401.

SRI MAHIGOWDA S/O LATE THAMMAIAH ALIAS HONNEGOWDA AGED MAJOR

SRI THAMMANNA S/O LATE PUTTAIAH AGED MAJOR

SRI SWAMY S/O LATE HONNEGOWDA AGED MAJOR

SRI SWAMY S/O LATE THAMMAIAH ALIAS HONNEGOWDA AGED MAJOR

THE RESPONDENTS NO. 6 TO 9 ARE RESIDENTS OF HABBADA

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HC-KAR

MARANAHALLI VILLAGE, KERAGODU HOBLI, MANDYA TALUK, MANDYA DISTRICT MANDYA - 571401.

…RESPONDENTS

THIS WP IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO(I) ALLOW THE PRESENT WRIT PETITION (II) DIRECT, DIRECTING THE RESPONDENT AUTHORITIES TO CONSIDER THE REPRESENTATIONS SUBMITTED BY THE PETITIONERS AND OTHERS, AND OPEN THE SEALED ENTRANCE ENABLING THE DEVOTEES TO ENTER INSIDE AND TO CONDUCT DAILY POOJA AND OTHER RITUALS AS PER CUSTOMS AND RITES, AND TO CONDUCT TEMPLE FESTIVAL. (III) DIRECT, DIRECTING THE RESPONDENT AUTHORITIES TO CONSIDER THE REPRESENTATIONS SUBMITTED BY THE PETITIONERS, VILLAGERS AND DEVOTEES OF THE TEMPLE, INITIATE APPROPRIATE MEASURES, STEPS AND PASS SUCH ORDER/S APPOINTING PETITIONER NO.10 AS A NEW PRIEST TO CARRYOUT POOJA AND OTHER RITUALS IN THE PATTALADHAMMA DEVI TEMPLE OF HAMPAPURA VILLAGE, KERAGODU HOBLI, MANDYA TALUK AND DISTRICT(IV) DIRECT, DIRECTING THE RESPONDENT AUTHORITIES TO CONSIDER THE REPRESENTATIONS SUBMITTED BY THE PETITIONERS, VILLAGERS AND DEVOTEES OF THE TEMPLE, INITIATE APPROPRIATE

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MEASURES, STEPS AND PASS SUCH ORDER/S, TERMINATE /REMOVE THE RESPONDENTS NO.6 TO 9 FROM BEING PRIESTS TO THE TEMPLE AND ACCORDINGLY INITIATE APPROPRIATE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THEM BY CONDUCTING ENQUIRY, ASCERTAINING THE ILLEGALITIES SINCE MADE OUT BY THEM, IN RESPECT OF THE MOVABLE AND IMMOVABLE ASSETS OF THE PATTALADHAMMA DEVI TEMPLE OF HAMPAPURA VILLAGE, KERAGODU HOBLI, MANDYA TALUK AND DISTRICT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW.

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

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE B M SHYAM PRASAD

ORAL ORDER

The learned counsel for the petitioners has filed

a memo seeking leave to withdraw the petition. The memo reads as under:

The Counsel for the petitioner submits that this Hon'ble Court may please to permit me to withdraw the above writ petition because it is infructuous will not press this petition, in the interest of justice and equity.

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HC-KAR

In view of the afore, the petition stands disposed

of as withdrawn.

Sd/(B M SHYAM PRASAD) JUDGE

SA ct:sr