Lakshmi Venkata Giri. H.D. Vs the State of Karnataka — Contempt of Court | Karnataka HC (2026)

Lakshmi Venkata Giri. H.D. Vs the State of Karnataka — Contempt of Court | Karnataka HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

None by way of punishment or further direction; the Contempt of Court Case was closed after the respondents' compliance submissions and the memos filed in that behalf were recorded.

Issue for consideration

Whether the accused committed contempt in relation to the order dated 19.07.2023 in W.P. No.52470/2019 (S-RES) warranting cognizance, prosecution and punishment, and enforcement of that order.

Court's answer

The Court recorded the submission of the learned Additional Government Advocate for the respondents that the directions in the order dated 19.07.2023 in W.P. No.52470/2019 had been complied with, though belatedly, and that the amounts required for payment of arrears had been deposited and disbursed to the respective District Courts for release to the Court Managers, together with the memos filed in that behalf.

Ratio / Principle

Accordingly, the Contempt of Court Case was closed.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Civil contempt petition (CCC No. 1083 of 2023, NC: 2026:KHC:17251-DB) filed in the High Court of Karnataka at Bengaluru by fifteen Court Managers (of the Principal Seat and the District Courts at Tumkuru, Mangalore, Kalaburagi, Chitradurga/Bagalkote, Bidar, Bagalkote, Udupi, Kolar, Hassan, Raichur and Vijayapur) under Article 215 of the Constitution of India read with Sections 11 and 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, against the State of Karnataka, its Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma, H.K. Jagadeesh (Secretary, Law Department) and L.K. Atheeq (Secretary, Department of Finance), alleging non-compliance of the directions in the High Court's order dated 19.07.2023 in W.P. No.52470/2019 (S-RES) and seeking cognizance, prosecution and punishment of the accused. On the date of hearing the learned Additional Government Advocate submitted that the directions had been complied with, though belatedly, and that the amounts required for payment of arrears had been deposited and disbursed to the respective District Courts for release to the Court Managers. The Court recorded the submission and the memos filed in that behalf and closed the Contempt of Court Case (order per Anu Sivaraman J.; coram Anu Sivaraman and Tara Vitasta Ganju JJ.; 26 March 2026).

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NC: 2026:KHC:17251-DB CCC No. 1083 of 2023

HC-KAR

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 26^TH DAY OF MARCH, 2026 PRESENT

THE HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE ANU SIVARAMAN AND

THE HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE TARA VITASTA GANJU CIVIL CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 1083 OF 2023

BETWEEN:

LAKSHMI VENKATA GIRI H.D. S/O H. DASARATHA AGED ABOUT 43 YEARS WORKING AS COURT MANAGER HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA BENGALURU - 560 001.

PRASHANT S/O SHANKRAPPA AGED ABOUT 42 YEARS

WORKING AS COURT MANAGER HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA BENGALURU - 560 001.

Digitally signed by LAKSHMINARAYANA MURTHY RAJASHRI Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

REVANASIDDAPPA S/O BASWARAJ AGED ABOUT 43 YEARS WORKING AS COURT MANAGER HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA BENGALURU -560 001.

S.K. ASHVINI KUMAR S/O S.R. KESHAVACHARYA AGED ABOUT 42 YEARS WORKING AS COURT MANAGER HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA BENGALURU -560 001.

SHIVKUMAR S/O. SHIVALINGA AGED ABOUT 45 YEARS WORKING AS COURT MANAGER

2 - NC: 2026:KHC:17251-DB CCC No. 1083 of 2023

HC-KAR

DISTRICT COURT, TUMKURU.

SUBHASCHANDRA SANKANNAVAR S/O IRAPPA AGED ABOUT 44 YEARS WORKING AS COURT MANAGER DISTRICT COURT MANGALORE - 575 001.

H. KATTE BASAPPA S/O H. RUDRAPPA AGED ABOUT 43 YEARS WORKING AS COURT MANAGER DISTRICT COURT KALABURGI - 585 101.

BIRAPPA DONI S/O ANANDAPPA DONI AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS WORKING AS COURT MANAGER DISTRICT COURT CHITRADURGA - 577 501 NOW WORKING AT BAGALKOTE - 587 501.

RAVINDRA K. PATIL S/O KARBASAPPA PATIL AGED ABOUT 41 YEARS WORKING AS COURT MANAGER DISTRICT COURT, BIDAR - 585 401.

ERESH ANGADI S/O A. CHANNAPPA AGED ABOUT 43 YEARS WORKING AS COURT MANAGER DISTRICT COURT BAGALKOTE -587 101.

SHIVARAJ S/O MALLAPPA BALIGERI AGED ABOUT 43 YEARS WORKING AS COURT MANAGER DISTRICT COURT, UDUPI - 576 101.

3 - NC: 2026:KHC:17251-DB CCC No. 1083 of 2023

HC-KAR

ZAINUL ABIDEEN TURKI S/O ABDUL GAFFAR TURKI AGED ABOUT 37 YEARS WORKING AS COURT MANAGER DISTRICT COURT, KOLAR - 563 101.

SURESH RATHOD S/O TUKARM RATHOD AGED ABOUT 45 YEARS WORKING AS COURT MANAGER DISTRICT COURT, HASSAN - 573 201.

PRAVEEN KUMAR HIREMATH S/O IRATAYYA HIREMATH AGED ABOUT 35 YEARS WORKING AS COURT MANAGER DISTRICT COURT, RAICHUR - 584 101.

RANGANATHA KALE S/O JAYANT KALE AGED ABOUT 42 YEARS WORKING AS COURT MANAGER DISTRICT COURT, VIJAYAPUR - 586 101.

…COMPLAINANTS

(BY SRI N.S. BHAT, ADVOCATE)

AND:

THE STATE OF KARNATAKA REPRESENTED BY ITS CHIEF SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT VIDHANA SOUDHA, DR. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BANGALORE - 560 001.

VANDITA SHARMA AGED ABOUT 58 YEARS W/O ISN PRASAD

CHIEF SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA, VIDHANA SOUDHA DR. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BENGALURU - 560 001.

H.K. JAGADEESH AGED ABOUT 55 YEARS

4 - NC: 2026:KHC:17251-DB CCC No. 1083 of 2023

HC-KAR

SECRETARY, LAW DEPARTMENT VIDHANA SOUDHA, BENGALURU - 560 001.

L.K. ATHEEQ-LUTHGOLLAKHAN ATHEEQ AGED ABOUT 58 YEARS SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA VIDHANA SOUDHA DR. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BENGALURU - 560 001.

…ACCUSED

(BY SRI THARANATHA POOJARY, AAG A/W SRI KAMROZ KHAN, AGA)

THIS CCC IS FILED UNDER ARTICLE 215 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA READ WITH SECTIONS 11 AND 12 OF THE CONTEMPT OF COURTS ACT, 1971, BY THE COMPLAINANT, WHERE IN HE PRAYS THAT THE HONBLE COURT BE PLEASED TO TAKE COGNIZANCE OF THE CONTEMPT COMMITTED BY THE ACCUSED IN RELATION TO ORDER DATED 19.07.2023 IN W.P. NO.52470/2019 (S-RES) AND THEM TO BE PROSECUTED AND PUNISH THE ACCUSED AND THEREBY UPHOLD DIGNITY AND MAJESTY OF LAW BY CAUSING THE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ORDER DATED 19.07.2023 OF THE HONBLE HIGH COURT IN W.P. NO.52470/2019 (S-RES).

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, JUDGMENT WAS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE ANU SIVARAMAN and HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE TARA VITASTA GANJU

ORAL ORDER

(PER: HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE ANU SIVARAMAN)

This Contempt of Court Case is filed alleging non-

compliance of the directions contained in the order dated

19.07.2023 in W.P.No.52470/2019.

5 - NC: 2026:KHC:17251-DB CCC No. 1083 of 2023

HC-KAR

Heard learned counsel for the complainant as well

as learned Additional Government Advocate appearing for respondents.

It is submitted by the learned Additional Government Advocate appearing for respondents that directions have been complied with, though belatedly. It is submitted that amounts required for payment of arrears have also been deposited and the amounts have been disbursed to the respective District Courts for release to the Court Managers.

The said submission and the memos on that behalf are recorded. Accordingly, the Contempt of Court Case is

closed .

Sd/(ANU SIVARAMAN) JUDGE

Sd/(TARA VITASTA GANJU) JUDGE

DKB

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