Dismissed¶¶41

Sri. Mahesharappa T v. the Chief Engineer (Ele) and Appellate Authority

Karnataka HC1 Jun 2026WA/985/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Writ appeal dismissed; MESCOM employee; Mechanic Grade-2; departmental enquiry; charges proved; censure; withholding of one increment with cumulative effect; suspension period treated as leave without salary; punishment modified on appeal; publicly consuming alcohol; dangerous bike riding; Section 4 Karnataka High Court Act; Shivamogga; Shikaripura; learned Single Judge judgment dated 29.01.2026 upheld; no interference in intra-Court appeal.

What did the court decide?

Having regard to the findings recorded by the Enquiry Officer and the judgment and order passed by the learned Single Judge, the Division Bench found no merit in the intra-Court appeal and accordingly dismissed the writ appeal. ¶¶41

Sri. Mahesharappa T Vs the Chief Engineer (Ele) and Appellate Authority — Karnataka HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

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NC: 2026:KHC:25566-DB WA No. 985 of 2026

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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 JUNE, 2026

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PRESENT

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THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH

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AND

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THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH RAI K

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WRIT APPEAL NO. 985 OF 2026 (S-DE)

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BETWEEN:

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SRI. MAHESHARAPPA T S/O. THIMMAPPA, AGED ABOUT 43 YEARS, WORKING AS MECHANIC GRADE-2, FUNCTION AND MAINTENANCE UNIT, N-7 SUB DIVISION, OFFICE OF THE L.T.RATING SUB-DIVISION, MESCOM, SHIKARIPURA TALUK-577 427, SHIVAMOGGA DISTRICT

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…APPELLANT

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Digitally signed by VASANTHA KUMARY B K Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

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(BY SRI. SRINIVASA K., ADVOCATE)

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AND:

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THE CHIEF ENGINEER (ELE) AND APPELLATE AUTHORITY O AND M ZONE, MESCOM, VIDYUTH BHAVAN, B.H.ROAD, SHIVAMOGGA -577 203

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THE SUPERINTENDING ENGINEER (ELE) O AND M ZONE, MESCOM,

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NC: 2026:KHC:25566-DB WA No. 985 of 2026

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HC-KAR

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VIDYUTH BHAVAN, B.H.ROAD, SHIVAMOGGA-577 203

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THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER (ELE) O AND M ZONE, MESCOM, SHIKARIPURA - 577 427, SHIVAMOGGA DISTRICT

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…RESPONDENTS

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THIS WRIT APPEAL IS FILED U/S 4 OF THE KARNATAKA HIGH COURT ACT PRAYING TO SET ASIDE THE ORDER PASSED BY THE LEARNED SINGLE JUDGE IN WP NO.296/2024 DATED 29/01/026 AND CONSEQUENTLY ALLOW THE ENTIRE WRIT PETITION AND GRANT ALL THE RELIEFS AS PRAYED.

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THIS APPEAL, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, THIS DAY, JUDGMENT WAS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER:

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CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH and HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH RAI K

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ORAL JUDGMENT

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(PER: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH)

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The present intra-Court appeal has been filed impugning

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the judgment dated 29.01.2026 passed by the writ Court in W.P.No.2926/2024 filed by the appellant.

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3 - NC: 2026:KHC:25566-DB WA No. 985 of 2026

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HC-KAR

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2. The parties are referred to as per their ranking before the writ Court, for the sake of convenience.

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3. The petitioner is employed as a Mechanic in MESCOM. While he was posted at Shivamogga, he was issued with charge sheet and departmental enquiry was initiated. On conclusion of the enquiry, the Enquiry Officer submitted a report finding the charges proved against the petitioner. The petitioner was inflicted with the punishment of withholding one increment with cumulative effect, and it was further ordered that his suspension period be treated as leave without salary. However, on appeal, the punishment was modified and it was reduced to censure.

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4. The petitioner challenged the censuring entry by filing a writ petition. The learned Single Judge has dismissed the writ petition on the ground of allegations relating to the petitioner publicly consuming alcohol and riding the bike dangerously got fully proved.

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5. Looking at the findings recorded by the Enquiry Officer and in the judgment and order passed by the learned

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NC: 2026:KHC:25566-DB WA No. 985 of 2026

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HC-KAR

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Single Judge, we find no merit in the appeal. Accordingly, the

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writ appeal is dismissed .

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