Partly allowed¶44

M/S Suma Prints v. the Additional District Election Officer (South)

Karnataka HC25 Oct 2025WP/30170/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Pending bills against public authority; mandamus to consider representations; BBMP (South); Additional District Election Officer; Chief Election Commissioner; work orders dated 28.04.2023 and 01.05.2023; Annexure-E to E8; Rs.7,03,780/-; 18% per annum interest; eight-week timeline; deadline 19.12.2025; Articles 226 and 227; writ of mandamus; GM-TEN; Suraj Govindaraj J.; High Court of Karnataka at Bengaluru; WP No. 30170 of 2025; decided 25.10.2025.

What did the court decide?

Mandamus to respondent No.1 to consider the supporting documents submitted with the representations dated 05.09.2023 to 14.05.2025 (Annexure-E to E8) and pass necessary orders within eight weeks, on or before 19.12.2025; no direct direction issued for payment of Rs.7,03,780/- or 18% interest. ¶44

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

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

¶44

Issue for consideration

Whether a writ of mandamus should issue directing respondent No.1 to consider the petitioner's representations dated 05.09.2023 to 14.05.2025 (Annexure-E to E8) and direct release of Rs.7,03,780/- with 18% interest towards the work orders dated 28.04.2023 and 01.05.2023. +1 more

¶36

Court's answer

A mandamus is issued directing respondent No.1 to consider the supporting documents submitted by the petitioner along with the representations dated 05.09.2023 to 14.05.2025 at Annexure-E to E8.

¶46

Ratio / Principle

Whenever 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 in this case, the Court exercised its jurisdiction to pass an order.

¶42

Key takeaways

Respondent No.1 shall pass necessary orders on the representations within a period of eight weeks from the date of the order, i.e., on or before 19.12.2025.ratio¶50

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Karnataka HC (Suraj Govindaraj, J.), WP No. 30170 of 2025 (GM-TEN), decided 25.10.2025 — M/s Suma Prints, a registered proprietorship, executed works under work orders dated 28.04.2023 (Annexure-C) and 01.05.2023 (Annexure-C1) and raised bills, but the BBMP/election authorities neither paid the dues nor passed a reasoned rejection; eight representations between 05.09.2023 and 14.05.2025 (Annexures-E to E8) seeking release of Rs.7,03,780/- with 18% interest went unheeded. Held: whenever bills are raised on a public authority, it must consider them and make payment if found due, or pass an order of rejection accompanied by reasons; neither having been done, a mandamus was issued to respondent No.1 (Additional District Election Officer (South)) to consider the supporting documents submitted with the representations and pass necessary orders within eight weeks, on or before 19.12.2025. Petition partly allowed. Filed under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India.

¶1

¶2

NC: 2025:KHC:42719 WP No. 30170 of 2025

¶3

HC-KAR

¶4

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

¶5

DATED THIS THE 25^TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2025

¶6

BEFORE

¶7

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURAJ GOVINDARAJ WRIT PETITION NO. 30170 OF 2025 (GM-TEN)

¶8

BETWEEN:

¶9

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 REPRESENTED BY ITS PROPRIETOR M. THEERTHA RAJU

¶10

…PETITIONER

¶11

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

¶12

Digitally signed by SHWETHA RAGHAVENDRA Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

¶13

AND:

¶14

THE ADDITIONAL DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICER (SOUTH) 9^TH MAIN ROAD, JAYANAGAR 2^ND BLOCK, BANGALORE - 560 011 BRUHATH BENGALURU MAHANAGARA PALIKE560011.

¶15

THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER BRUHATH BENGALURU MAHANAGARA PALIKE

¶16

N.R. SQUARE

¶17

¶18

NC: 2025:KHC:42719 WP No. 30170 of 2025

¶19

HC-KAR

¶20

BENGALURU - 560 002

¶21

THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER (PROJECT) AND EVM NODAL OFFICER BBMP (SOUTH) BRUHATH BENGALURU MAHANAGARA PALIKE 9^TH MAIN ROAD, JAYANAGARA 2^ND BLOCK, BENGALURU - 560 011

¶22

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

¶23

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

¶24

…RESPONDENTS

¶25

(BY SRI. B.L. SANJEEV, ADVOCATE FOR R1 TO R3 SRI. S.R. DODWAD, ADVOCATE FOR R4 AND R5)

¶26

¶27

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 05.09.2023, 12.12.2023, 05.03.2024, 04.06.2024, 03.10.2024, 04.01.2025, 18.04.2025 AND 14.05.2025 (2 NOS.) AT ANNEXURE-E TO E8 AND DIRECT THE RESPONDENTS TO RELEASE AMOUNT OF RS.7,03,780/- (RUPEES SEVEN LAKH THREE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONLY) TOWARDS THE WORK ORDERS

¶28

3 - NC: 2025:KHC:42719 WP No. 30170 of 2025

¶29

HC-KAR

¶30

DATED 28.04.2023 ANNX-C AND 01.05.2023 ANNX-C1 ALONG WITH AN INTEREST OF 18% PER ANNUM FROM THE DATE IT IS DUE TILL THE DATE OF PAYMENTS, ETC.

¶31

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

¶32

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURAJ GOVINDARAJ

¶33

ORAL ORDER

¶34

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.

¶35

Petitioner is before this Court seeking for the following reliefs:

¶36

"a) Issue a writ of mandamus to direct R1 to consider the representations dated 05.09.2023, 12.12.2023, 05.03.2024, 04.06.2024, 03.10.2024, 04.01.2025, 18.04.2025 and 14.05.2025 (2 Nos.) at Annexure-E to E8 and direct the respondents to release amount of Rs.7,03,780/- (Rupees Seven Lakh Three Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty only) along with an interest of 18% per annum from the date it is due till the date of payments,

¶37

¶38

NC: 2025:KHC:42719 WP No. 30170 of 2025

¶39

HC-KAR

¶40

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

¶41

The grievance of the petitioner is that for the works which have been done by the petitioner, the respondents have not made payment of the due amounts despite the bills having been raised by them.

¶42

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:

¶43

ORDER

¶44

(i) Writ Petition is partly allowed ;

¶45

(ii) A mandamus is issued directing the

¶46

respondent No.1 to consider the supporting documents submitted by the petitioner along

¶47

¶48

NC: 2025:KHC:42719 WP No. 30170 of 2025

¶49

HC-KAR

¶50

with the representations dated 05.09.2023, 12.12.2023, 05.03.2024, 04.06.2024, 03.10.2024, 04.01.2025, 18.04.2025 and 14.05.2025 (2 Nos.) at Annexure-E to E8 and pass necessary orders, within a period of eight weeks from today, i.e. on or before 19.12.2025 .

¶51

SD/(SURAJ GOVINDARAJ) JUDGE

¶52

BMV* CT-SG List No.: 1 Sl No.: 153

M/S Suma Prints v. the Additional District Election Officer (South)

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

M/S Suma Prints v. the Additional District Election Officer (South)

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Why is it important?

What the court decided

Issues for consideration

Statutes considered

Procedural history

Parties & counsel

Coram

Case details

Similar cases

M/S Shree Vaikuntam Life Spaces Pvt. Ltd. Vs Mrs. Latha Suresh Bhandary

Sri Tammesh Gowda H C Vs the State of Karnataka

Mr. K. S. Sunil Gupta Vs Radome Technologies and Services Private Limited

M/S K K Enterprises Vs the Additional District Election Officer

Smt Geetha Vs the State of Karnataka by

M/S Suma Prints Vs the District Election Officer