M/S Suma Prints Vs the District Election Officer — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2025)

M/S Suma Prints Vs the District Election Officer — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Mandamus to respondent No.1 to consider the supporting documents submitted with the representations dated 01.10.2020 to 18.04.2025 (Annexure-G to G20) and pass necessary orders within eight weeks, on or before 19.12.2025; the claimed sum of Rs.60,65,644/- with 18% interest was left for consideration, not adjudicated or awarded by this Court.

Issue for consideration

Whether respondent No.1 was obliged to consider the petitioner's bills and representations and either make payment if found due or pass an order of rejection accompanied by reasons, and whether a mandamus to that effect should issue.

Court's answer

Whenever bills are raised on a public authority, it is required of that authority to consider the said bills and make payment of the same if found due, and if not found due, to pass an order of rejection accompanied by reasons.

Ratio / Principle

Neither payment nor a reasoned rejection having been done, a mandamus is issued directing respondent No.1 to consider the supporting documents submitted by the petitioner along with the representations dated 01.10.2020 to 18.04.2025 at Annexure-G to G20 and pass necessary orders.

Key takeaways

The necessary orders were directed to be passed within a period of eight weeks from the date of the order, i.e. on or before 19.12.2025.ratio¶45

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Writ Petition No. 30029 of 2025 (GM-TEN) under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India, decided on 25.10.2025 by Suraj Govindaraj J., High Court of Karnataka at Bengaluru. M/s Suma Prints, a registered proprietorship, sought a writ of mandamus directing respondent No.1 (District Election Officer and Commissioner, Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) to consider its representations dated 01.10.2020 through 18.04.2025 (Annexure-G to G20) and release Rs.60,65,644/- with 18% per annum interest against bills raised for works done, payment of which had not been made despite the bills. The Court held that whenever bills are raised on a public authority, it must consider them and either make payment if found due or pass an order of rejection accompanied by reasons; neither having been done, the writ petition was partly allowed and a mandamus issued to respondent No.1 to consider the supporting documents filed with the representations and pass necessary orders within eight weeks, on or before 19.12.2025. The Court did not itself adjudicate the quantum of the claim or the interest; respondents 2 to 5 included the Chief Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner (Election) of BBMP, the Chief Election Commissioner of India and the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka.

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HC-KAR

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

DATED THIS THE 25^TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2025

BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURAJ GOVINDARAJ WRIT PETITION NO. 30029 OF 2025 (GM-TEN)

BETWEEN:

M/S SUMA PRINTS A REGISTERED PROPRIETORSHIP HAVING REGISTERED OFFICE AT GROUND NO.34 3^RD FLOOR, JM ARCADE ANNIPURA MAIN ROAD SUDHAMANAGAR BENGALURU - 560 027 REP. BY ITS PROPRIETOR M. THEERTHA RAJU

…PETITIONER

(BY SRI. PRITHVEESH M.K., ADVOCATE FOR SRI. RANGANATH R., ADVOCATE)

AND:

Digitally signed 1. THE DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICER by SHWETHA RAGHAVENDRA AND THE COMMISIONER Location: HIGH BRUHATH BENGALURU MAHANAGARA PALIKE COURT OF N R SQUARE, BENGALURU - 560 002 KARNATAKA

THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER BRUHAT BENGALURU MAHANAGARA PALIKE N R SQUARE, BENGALURU - 560 002

THE ASISTANT COMMISSIONER (ELECTION) MAHADEVAPURA ZONE BRUHATH BENGALURU MAHANAGARA PALIKE NR SQUARE, BENGALURU - 560 002

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THE CHIEF ELECTION COMMISSIONER ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA NIRVACHAN SADAN ASHOKA ROAD NEW DELHI - 110 001

THE CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER KARNATAKA NIRVACHANA NILAYA SHESADRI ROAD AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BENGALURU - 560 001

…RESPONDENTS

(BY SRI. B.L. SANJEEV, ADVOCATE FOR R-1 TO R-3 SRI. S.R. DODWAD, ADVOCATE FOR R-4 AND R-5)

THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO ISSUE A WRIT OF MANDAMUS DIRECTING RESPONDENT NO.1 TO CONSIDER THE REPRESENTATIONS DATED 01.10.2020, 18.06.2022, 08.08.2022, 02.11.2022, 06.12.2023 (3 NOS.), 01.02.2024 (4 NOS.), 17.07.2024 (3 NOS.), 09.10.2024, 21.10.2024, 13.02.2025 (4 NOS.) AND 18.04.2025 AT ANNEXURE-G TO G20 AND RELEASE THE PAYMENTS AS AGAINST THE BILLS SUBMITTED BY THE PETITIONER FOR THE SUM OF RS.60,65,644/- (RUPEES SIXTY LAKHS SIXTY-FIVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND FORTY-FOUR ONLY) ALONG WITH AN INTEREST OF 18% PER ANNUM FROM THE DATE IT IS DUE TILL THE DATE OF PAYMENTS, ETC.

THIS WRIT PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

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HC-KAR

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURAJ GOVINDARAJ

ORAL ORDER

Sri.B.L. Sanjeev, learned counsel accepts notice for respondent Nos.1 to 3. Sri. S.R. Dodwad, learned counsel accepts notice for respondent Nos.4 and 5.

Petitioner is before this Court seeking for the following reliefs:

"a) Issue a writ of mandamus directing respondent No.1 to consider the representations dated 01.10.2020, 18.06.2022, 08.08.2022, 02.11.2022, 06.12.2023 (3 Nos.), 01.02.2024 (4 Nos.), 17.07.2024 (3 Nos.), 09.10.2024, 21.10.2024, 13.02.2025 (4 Nos.) and 18.04.2025 at Annexure-G to G20 and release the payments as against the bills submitted by the petitioner for the sum of Rs.60,65,644/- (Rupees Sixty lakhs Sixty-five Thousand Six Hundred and Forty-four only) along with an interest of 18% per annum from the date it is due till the date of payments,

b) Grant such other reliefs as may be found expedient in the interest of justice and equity."

The grievance of the petitioner is that for the works

which have been done by the petitioner, the

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HC-KAR

respondents have not made payment of the due amounts despite the bills having been raised by them.

Whenever any bills are raised on a public Authority, it is required of the public Authority to consider the said bills and make payment of the same, if found due and if not found due, to pass an order of rejection accompanied by reasons. Neither having been done, I pass the following:

ORDER

(i) Writ Petition is partly allowed ;

(ii) A mandamus is issued directing the respondent No.1 to consider the supporting documents submitted by the petitioner along with the representations dated 01.10.2020, 18.06.2022, 08.08.2022, 02.11.2022, 06.12.2023 (3 Nos.), 01.02.2024 (4 Nos.), 17.07.2024 (3 Nos.), 09.10.2024, 21.10.2024,

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HC-KAR

13.02.2025 (4 Nos.) and 18.04.2025 at Annexure-G to G20 and pass necessary orders, within a period of eight weeks from today, i.e.

on or before 19.12.2025 .

SD/(SURAJ GOVINDARAJ) JUDGE

BMV* CT-SG List No.: 1 Sl No.: 0