Smt H Manjula Vs State of Karnataka — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2026)

Smt H Manjula Vs State of Karnataka — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Certiorari sought against the two notices was not granted at the preliminary hearing. Interim directions were issued: the Chief Commissioner, GBA, with the Principal Secretary (e-Governments), to set up an online reply/document-upload system for noticees of GBA officers (affidavit by 04.03.2026); petitioner's counsel to resubmit the reply within ten days; respondents to consider it and pass orders within 30 days; petition re-listed on 04.03.2026 to report compliance.

Issue for consideration

Whether the two notices (Annexures A and A-1) issued by respondent No.2 dated 05-01-2026 and 05-02-2026 under Sections 311 and 312 of the GBA Act 2024, calling on the petitioner to produce documents, are liable to be quashed by writ of certiorari. +1 more

Court's answer

Even assuming the petitioner had put up no construction and had no documents, the petitioner ought to have replied to Annexures A and A-1 placing those facts on record rather than challenge a show cause notice; the notices were accordingly not quashed at the preliminary hearing.

Ratio / Principle

The Chief Commissioner of the GBA was directed to look into the non-receipt of the petitioner's reply and, in association with the Principal Secretary of e-Governments, to set up a system enabling any noticee of any GBA officer (administrative or quasi-judicial) to reply online by uploading relevant documents, with the officer passing orders online and intimating the noticee; liberty remains to submit replies offline or online; an affidavit is to be filed by 04.03.2026.

Key takeaways

If the petitioner resubmits her reply within ten days, the respondents are directed to consider it and pass necessary orders within 30 days.ratio¶49
The petition is re-listed on 04.03.2026 to report compliance.ratio¶50

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Karnataka High Court (Suraj Govindaraj J.), WP No. 5008 of 2026 (LB-BMP), order dated 16.02.2026: The petitioner challenged two notices (Annexures A and A-1) issued by respondent No.2, Assistant Executive Engineer, Bangalore South Nagara Palike, dated 05-01-2026 and 05-02-2026 under Sections 311 and 312 of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024 (GBA Act), calling upon her to produce documents. The Court observed that even if no construction had been put up and no documents existed, the petitioner ought to have replied to the show cause notices rather than challenge them. Taking note of counsel's statement that the reply filed had not been received by the respondents, the Court directed the Chief Commissioner of the GBA, in association with the Principal Secretary of e-Governments, to set up a system whereby any noticee of any GBA officer, administrative or quasi-judicial, may reply online with uploaded documents, with orders passed online and intimated to the noticee, liberty remaining to reply offline or online; an affidavit is to be filed by 04.03.2026. Counsel undertook to resubmit the reply within ten days; the respondents were directed to consider it and pass orders within 30 days. The petition was re-listed on 04.03.2026 to report compliance. The merits of the notices were not decided and no precedent was cited.

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NC: 2026:KHC:9595 WP No. 5008 of 2026

HC-KAR

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

DATED THIS THE 16^TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026

BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURAJ GOVINDARAJ

WRIT PETITION NO. 5008 OF 2026 (LB-BMP)

BETWEEN:

SMT H MANJULA, W/O. K. SRINIVAS MURTHY, AGED ABOUT 57 YEARS, R/AT NO.438, 1^ST FLOOR, 40^TH CROSS, VASISTA APARTMENT, 5^TH 'BLOCK, JAYANAGAR, BANGALORE - 560 041.

…PETITIONER

(BY SRI. CHOKKAREDDY, ADVOCATE)

AND:

Digitally signed by SHWETHA RAGHAVENDRA Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

STATE OF KARNATAKA, STATE OF KARNATAKA REPTS BY

PRINCIPLE SECRETARY URBAN DEPARTMENT, M.S.BUILDING, AMBEDKAR BEEDHI, BANGALORE - 560 001.

ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, BANGALORE SOUTH NAGARA PALIKE,

NC: 2026:KHC:9595 WP No. 5008 of 2026

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HC-KAR

J.P.NAGARA SUB-DIVISION,

JAYANAGARA ZONE, 10^TH CROSS, 21^ST MAIN ROAD, J.P.NAGARA, 2^ND PHASE, BENGALURU - 560 078.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CITY PLANNING, JAYANAGARA ZONE, 10^TH CROSS, 21^ST MAIN ROAD, J.P.NAGARA, 2^ND PHASE, BENGALURU - 560 078.

…RESPONDENTS

(BY SRI. BOPPANNA BELLIYAPPA, AGA FOR R1

SRI.PAWAN KUMAR, ADVOCATE FOR R-2 & R-3)

THIS WP IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO QUASHING THE ANX-A DN A1 TWO NOTICES ISSUED BY THE R-2 TD 5.01.2026 IN NO. SA KA PA HA/JPNA HU VI/GBA/01/2526 AND DTD 5.2.2026 IN NO. SA KA PA HA /JPNA HU VI /GBA/09/25-26 UNDER SECTION 311 AND 312 OF GBA ACT 2024 AND ETC.,

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

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURAJ GOVINDARAJ

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NC: 2026:KHC:9595 WP No. 5008 of 2026

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ORAL ORDER

Petitioner is before this Court seeking for the following

reliefs:

(a) "Issue writ of certiorari by quashing Annexure - A & A-1 - two notices issued by the respondents No.2 dated 05-01-2026 in No. sa.ka.pa.ha/jpna. hu.vi/GBA/09/25-26 under section 311 and 312 of GBA Act 2024.

(b) to grant such other reliefs deems fit under facts and circumstances of the case in the interest of justice and equity. "

Essentially what the petitioner has challenged is notices at Annexures - A and A-1 issued under Sections 311 and 312 of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024 (GBA) calling upon the petitioner to produce certain documents.

The submission of learned counsel for the petitioner is that there is no construction which has been put up by the petitioner and as such, there are no documents which are available. Even if that were to be so, it is for the petitioner to have replied to Annexure A and A-1, placing

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the said facts and not challenge a show cause notice which had been issued.

The submission of learned counsel for the petitioner is also that the reply which has been submitted has not been received by the respondents. In that view of the matter, the Chief Commissioner of the GBA is directed to look into this aspect and in association with the Principal Secretary of the E-Governments set up a system for any noticee from any Officer of the GBA whether in the administrative or quasi-judicial capacity to reply to the same in an online manner by uploading all the relevant documents which could also be considered by the concerned officer and necessary orders passed online intimating the same to the concerned noticee. Liberty however, being with the noticee to submit the reply in an offline manner or an online manner. The affidavit will be filed by 04.03.2026.

Learned counsel for the petitioner further submits that the reply will be resubmitted within a period of ten days from today. If such reply were to be submitted, the

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respondents are directed to consider the same and pass necessary orders within 30 days.

Thus, the above petition is directed to re-list on

04.03.2026 to report compliance.

SD/(SURAJ GOVINDARAJ) JUDGE

JS

List No.: 2 Sl No.: 28