Dismissed¶53

Smt Gowramma v. Sri Munish Moudgil IAS

Karnataka HC1 Apr 2026CCC/1079/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Civil contempt petition; Contempt of Courts Act 1971 Sections 11 and 12; willful disobedience; order dated 04.09.2024; W.P.No.7170/2023; W.P.No.22576/2022; KLR-RES; land grant; Assistant Commissioner recommendation; Annexure-J; Tahsildar Hosakote Taluk; endorsement overruling recommendation; verification of records; Munish Moudgil; Durgashree N; H.G. Naganna Gowda; State of Karnataka Department of Revenue; Bengaluru Rural District; Hosakote; contempt proceedings not initiated; petition closed; substantive remedies preserved.

What did the court decide?

No contempt proceedings initiated; the Contempt Petition was closed, with a clarification preserving the complainant's liberty to pursue substantive remedies against the Tahsildar's endorsement or any other order/action. ¶53

Smt Gowramma Vs Sri Munish Moudgil IAS — Contempt of Court | Karnataka HC (2026)

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NC: 2026:KHC:17810-DB CCC No. 1079 of 2025

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HC-KAR

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 1^ST DAY OF APRIL, 2026

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PRESENT

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THE HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE

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AND

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THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA CIVIL CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 1079 OF 2025

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BETWEEN:

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SMT GOWRAMMA AGED ABOUT 68 YEARS W/O LATE SAMPAGERE KRISHNAPPA,

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G. K. LAXMINARAYANA AGED ABOUT 51 YEARS, S/O. LATE SAMPAGERE KRISHNAPPA,

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K. SRINIVAS

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Digitally signed by VEERENDRA KUMAR K M Location: High Court of Karnataka

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AGED ABOUT 48 YEARS, S/O. LATE SAMPAGERE KRISHNAPPA,

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K. VENKATAPATHI

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AGED ABOUT 46 YEARS, S/O. LATE SAMPAGERE KRISHNAPPA,

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SMT. HEMAVATHI AGED ABOUT 42 YEARS, D/O. LATE SAMPAGERE KRISHNAPPA,

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SMT. PREMA AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS, D/O. LATE SAMPAGERE KRISHNAPPA,

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NC: 2026:KHC:17810-DB CCC No. 1079 of 2025

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HC-KAR

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ALL ARE RESIDING AT GANAGALURU VILLAGE, ANAGONDANAHALLI HOBLI, HOSAKOTE TALUK, BENGALURU RURAL DISTRICT, BENGALURU-563 130.

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…COMPLAINANTS

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(BY SRI. VIKRAM HUILGIL, SR. ADVOCATE FOR SRI KARTHIK V., ADVOCATE)

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AND:

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SRI MUNISH MOUDGIL (IAS), S/O NOT KNOWN TO THE COMPLAINANTS AGED ABOUT MAJOR SECRETARY REVENUE DEPARTMENT STATE OF KARNATAKA BENGALURU - 560 001

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SRI DURGASHREE N W/O NOT KNOWN TO THE COMPLAINANTS AGED ABOUT MAJOR ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER DODDABALLAPURA SUB-DIVISION DODDABALLAPURA - 561 203

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SRI. H.G. NAGANNA GOWDA S/O NOT KNOWN TO THE COMPLAINANTS AGED ABOUT MAJOR TAHSILDAR HOSAKOTE TALUK HOSAKOTE 562 114

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NC: 2026:KHC:17810-DB CCC No. 1079 of 2025

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HC-KAR

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BENGALURU RURAL DISTRICT, BENGALURU - 562 114.

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…ACCUSED

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THE STATE OF KARNATAKA REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE M.S. BUILDING BENGALURU - 560 001

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…PRO FORMA RESPONDENT (BY SRI S.H. RAGHAVENDRA, AGA)

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THIS CCC IS FILED UNDER SECTION 11 AND 12 OF THE CONTEMPT OF COURTS ACT, BY THE COMPLAINANT, PRAYING TO INITIATE CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE ACCUSED FOR HAVING DISOBEYED THE ORDER PASSED BY THIS HONBLE COURT DATED 04.09.2024 IN WP NO.22576/2022 (KLR-RES) A COPY OF WHICH IS PRODUCED AT ANNEXURE-C, PUNISH THE ACCUSED FOR WILLFULLY AND DELIBERATELY DISOBEYING THE ORDERS PASSED BY THIS HONBLE COURT.

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

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NC: 2026:KHC:17810-DB CCC No. 1079 of 2025

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HC-KAR

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CORAM: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE and HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA

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ORAL ORDER

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(PER: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE) 1. The complainant has filed the present complaint alleging willful disobedience of the order dated 04.09.2024, passed by the learned Single Judge in Writ Petition No.7170/2023 (KLR-RES) C/w. Writ Petition No.22576/2022 (KLR-RES), whereby Writ Petition No.7170/20223 was allowed and Writ Petition No.22576/2022 was allowed in-part and directions were issued to the concerned authorities/respondents to "consider the recommendation made by the respondent No2/Assistant Commissioner." Clause (ii) and (iii) of the operative portion of the said order are set out below:

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" (ii) W.P.No.22576/2022 is allowed-in-part. The respondents shall consider the recommendation made by the respondent No.2/Assistant Commissioner as per Annexure-J and after verifying the records shall pass appropriate orders in accordance with law;

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(iii) This order will not come in the way of the competent authority to hold an enquiry to ascertain whether the grant is genuine:"

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Learned Senior Counsel appearing for the complainant submits that although the recommendations have been

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NC: 2026:KHC:17810-DB CCC No. 1079 of 2025

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HC-KAR

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considered by the Tahsildar, however, the endorsement issued is wholly unsustainable as it seeks to overrule the recommendations. He submits that the Tahsildar cannot sit over the decision of the Assistant Commissioner.

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Learned counsel appearing for the accused summits that the said directions also include verification of the records and the endorsement is issued after the records have been verified.

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In view of the above, we do not consider it an apposite to initiate any proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. However, we clarify that this order will not preclude the complainant from availing any substantive remedies if aggrieved by any order or action of the Tahsildar or any other authority.

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In view of the above, this Contempt Petition stands closed.

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Sd/(VIBHU BAKHRU) CHIEF JUSTICE

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Sd/(C.M. POONACHA) JUDGE

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BK : List No.: 2 Sl No.: 24

Smt Gowramma v. Sri Munish Moudgil IAS

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Smt Gowramma v. Sri Munish Moudgil IAS

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

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