Disposed¶40

Sri Muninanjajappa v. State of Karnataka

Karnataka HC22 Jul 2026CCC/1097/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

civil contempt; CCC 1097/2025; Section 12 Contempt of Courts Act 1971; willful disobedience; compliance affidavit; order dated 05.02.2025 W.P. 2325/2025 KLR-RES; revision petition rejected 10.04.2026; Writ Petition 58789/2016 taken note of; Assistant Commissioner Bengaluru South Sub Division; complaint closed; substantive remedies preserved; Karnataka High Court Division Bench 22.07.2026.

What did the court decide?

None; the contempt complaint was closed without initiating proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, with the complainant expressly left free to pursue substantive remedies. ¶40

Sri Muninanjajappa Vs State of Karnataka — Contempt of Court | Karnataka HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

None; the contempt complaint was closed without initiating proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, with the complainant expressly left free to pursue substantive remedies.

¶40

Issue for consideration

Whether any proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 were required to be initiated against the accused for alleged willful disobedience of the order dated 05.02.2025 in W.P. No. 2325/2025 [KLR-RES], given the compliance affidavit enclosing the order dated 10.04.2026 rejecting the revision petition.

¶31

Court's answer

Since the compliance affidavit enclosed the order dated 10.04.2026 rejecting the revision petition, and that order also mentions Writ Petition No. 58789/2016, no proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 were required to be initiated; the complaint was closed.

¶40

Key takeaways

It was clarified that closure of the contempt complaint does not preclude the complainant from availing substantive remedies, including in respect of the order dated 10.04.2026 rejecting the revision petition, in accordance with law.obiter¶41

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Civil Contempt Petition (CCC No. 1097 of 2025, High Court of Karnataka, Bench: Vibhu Bakhru, CJ and K.S. Hemalekha, J; decided 22.07.2026) filed under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 by Sri Muninanjappa alleging willful disobedience by the accused, Assistant Commissioner, Bengaluru South Sub Division, of the order dated 05.02.2025 of the learned Single Judge in W.P. No. 2325/2025 (KLR-RES), which had directed him to decide the appeal afresh after notifying the parties and to take note of the judgment in Writ Petition No. 58789/2016. The accused filed a compliance affidavit enclosing an order dated 10.04.2026 rejecting the revision petition; the Division Bench noted that the said order also mentions Writ Petition No. 58789/2016, held that no proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 were required, and closed the complaint, while clarifying that the complainant remains free to avail substantive remedies, including in respect of the order dated 10.04.2026, in accordance with law.

¶1

¶2

HC-KAR

¶3

NC: 2026:KHC:37841-DB CCC No. 1097 of 2025

¶4

CNR: KAHC010559512025

¶5

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

¶6

DATED THIS THE 22^ND DAY OF JULY, 2026

¶7

PRESENT

¶8

THE HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE

¶9

AND

¶10

THE HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE K.S. HEMALEKHA

¶11

CIVIL CONTEMPT PETITION NO.1097 OF 2025

¶12

BETWEEN:

¶13

SRI MUNINANJAPPA S/O LATE CHIKKAMUNIYAPPA, AGED ABOUT 63 YEARS, RESIDING AT SOMANAHALLI VILLAGE, SOMANAHALLI POST, UTTARAHALLI HOBLI, BANGALORE SOUTH TALUK PIN CODE - 560 082.

¶14

…COMPLAINANT

¶15

(BY MR. PUNITH C., ADVOCATE)

¶16

Digitally signed by C K LATHA Location: High Court of Karnataka

¶17

AND:

¶18

STATE OF KARNATAKA, REPRESENTED BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, REVENUE DEPARTMENT, M.S. BUILDING, BANGALORE PIN CODE - 560001.

¶19

…PRO FORMA RESPONDENT

¶20

SRI. VISHVANATH V.R. WORKING AS ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, BENGALURU SOUTH SUB DIVISION, KANDAYA BHAVAN, K.G. ROAD, BENGALURU - 560 009.

¶21

…ACCUSED (BY SMT. B. SUKANYA BALIGA, ADDITIONAL GOVERNMENT ADVOCATE )

¶22

¶23

HC-KAR

¶24

NC: 2026:KHC:37841-DB CCC No. 1097 of 2025

¶25

CNR: KAHC010559512025

¶26

THIS CCC IS FILED UNDER SECTION 12 OF THE CONTEMPT OF COURTS ACT, 1971, PRAYING TO SECURE THE PERSONS OF THE ACCUSED BEFORE THIS HON'BLE COURT FOR HIS WILLFUL DISOBEDIENCE TO THE ORDER OF THIS HON'BLE COURT DATED 05.02.2025 PASSED IN W.P.NO.2325/2025 (KLR-RES) AND THEREBY PUNISH HIM FOR CIVIL IMPRISONMENT FOR A TERM OF 6 MONTHS AND TO PASS SUITABLE ORDER ACCORDANCE WITH LAW.

¶27

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE and

¶28

HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE K.S. HEMALEKHA

¶29

ORAL ORDER

¶30

(PER: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE)

¶31

The complainant has filed the present complaint alleging willful disobedience of the order dated 05.02.2025 passed by the learned Single Judge in Writ Petition No. 2325/2025 [KLR-RES]. In terms of the said order, the accused was directed to decide the appeal in accordance with law after notifying the parties and hearing afresh. The learned Single Judge had also directed the accused to take note of the judgment rendered by this Court in Writ Petition No. 58789/2016.

¶32

The accused has filed a compliance affidavit enclosing there with an order dated 10.04.2026 whereby the revision petition was rejected.

¶33

¶34

HC-KAR

¶35

NC: 2026:KHC:37841-DB CCC No. 1097 of 2025

¶36

CNR: KAHC010559512025

¶37

The learned counsel appearing for the complainant submits

¶38

that the accused was also required to take note of the other similar cases as well as order passed in Writ Petition No. 58789/2016.

¶39

We note that the order dated 10.04.2026 also mentions the aforesaid writ petition.

¶40

In view of the above, we are not persuaded to accept that any proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 are required to be initiated. The complaint is accordingly closed.

¶41

However, we clarify that this will not preclude the complainant from availing of the substantive remedies, including in respect of the order dated 10.04.2026, albeit in accordance with law.

¶42

Sd/(VIBHU BAKHRU) CHIEF JUSTICE

¶43

Sd/(K.S. HEMALEKHA) JUDGE

¶44

CKL

¶45

List No.: 1 Sl No.: 10

Sri Muninanjajappa v. State of Karnataka

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Sri Muninanjajappa v. State of Karnataka

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Why is it important?

What the court decided

Issues for consideration

Cases cited

Statutes considered

Procedural history

Parties & counsel

Coram

Case details

Similar cases

Sri Deveeramma Stone Crushers Vs State of Karnataka

Mrs. Melanie Sebastian Vs Union of India

The Deputy Commissioner, Vs R Venkatachalapathi

Sri M Nagappa Vs Sri Dr M v Venkatesh

Sri Nirmal Kumar Vs State of Karnataka

M/S. Sandesh Enterprises Vs the Excise Commissioner of Karnataka