M/S Yogesh Digital Vs the State of Karnataka — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2026)

M/S Yogesh Digital Vs the State of Karnataka — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Writ petition allowed; mandamus issued directing the respondents to consider the final requisition/appeal/representations dated 10.11.2025 at Annexures-K and K1 and pass necessary orders within 30 days of receipt of a copy of the order, without expressing any opinion on the petitioner's entitlement to the money.

Issue for consideration

Whether a writ of mandamus should issue directing the respondents to consider the petitioner's final requisition/appeal dated 10.11.2025 at Annexures-K and K1 seeking payment. +1 more

Court's answer

Whenever bills and/or representations for payment are submitted to the employer, the employer is required to consider them and either make payment or reject the request within a reasonable period of time.

Ratio / Principle

If an order of rejection of such bills/representation is passed, it must be accompanied by reasons.

Key takeaways

A mandamus is issued directing the respondents to consider the final requisition/appeal/representations dated 10.11.2025 at Annexures-K and K1 and pass necessary orders within 30 days from receipt of a copy of the order.ratio¶44
The Court has not expressed any opinion on the entitlement of the petitioner to the money claimed; the mandamus is confined to consideration of the requisition.ratio¶45

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

High Court of Karnataka (Suraj Govindaraj, J.) allowed a writ petition under Articles 226/227 filed by a proprietary firm claiming Rs. 1,04,54,861 with 18% per annum interest for works under a Work Order dated 02.03.2019, whose bills were only partly paid and whose successive representations (30.09.2020 to 18.10.2025) and final requisition dated 10.11.2025 were not considered. Held that when bills or representations for payment are submitted to an employer, the employer must consider them and either make payment or reject the request within a reasonable time, and any rejection must be a reasoned order. As neither consideration nor a reasoned rejection had occurred, a mandamus was issued to the respondents (State Finance Department, Returning Officer, Election Commission of India and Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka) to consider the final requisition dated 10.11.2025 at Annexures-K and K1 and pass necessary orders within 30 days, expressly without expressing any opinion on the petitioner's entitlement to the money claimed. No precedents were cited.

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NC: 2026:KHC:26161 WP No. 801 of 2026

HC-KAR

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

DATED THIS THE 3^RD DAY OF JUNE, 2026

BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURAJ GOVINDARAJ

WRIT PETITION NO. 801 OF 2026 (GM-RES)

BETWEEN:

M/S YOGESH DIGITAL PROPRIETORSHIP FIRM HAVING ITS REGISTERED OFFICE AT #8, 7^TH MAIN BANASHANKARI 2ND STAGE BENGALURU - 560070 REPRESENTED BY ITS PROPRIETOR ANJINAPPA AGED ABOUT 45 YEARS

…PETITIONER

(BY SRI. PRITHVEESH M.K., ADVOCATE)

AND:

Digitally signed by SHWETHA RAGHAVENDRA Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

THE STATE OF KARNATAKA FINANCE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTED BY ITS ADDITIONAL CHIEF SECRETARY VIDHAN SOUDHA AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BANGALORE - 560001.

THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER / RETURNING OFFICER 24-BENGALURU NORTH MP CONSTITUTENCY BENGALURU URBAN DISTRICT BENGALURU – 560009

THE CHIEF ELECTION COMMISSIONER ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA, NIRVACHAN SADAN, ASHOKA ROAD, NEW DELHI - 110 001.

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THE CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER KARNATAKA NIRVACHANA NILAYA, SHESHADRI ROAD, AMBEDKAR VEEDHI, BENGALURU - 560001 [email protected]

…RESPONDENTS

(BY SRI. MOHAMMED JAFFAR SHAH., AGA FOR R1; SRI. SHARATH DODAWAD., ADVOCATE FOR R2 TO R4)

THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLE 226 R/W 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO ISSUE A WRIT OF MANDAMUS DIRECTING THE RESPONDENTS TO CONSIDER THE FINAL REQUISITION/ APPEAL DATED 10.11.2025 AT ANNEXURE-K AND K1 AND FURTHER DIRECT THE RESPONDENTS TO RELEASE THE AMOUNTS LAWFULLY DUE TO THE PETITIONER, A SUM OF INR 1,04,54,861 (RUPEES ONE CRORE FOUR LAKH FIFTY-FOUR THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED SIXTY-ONE ONLY), TOGETHER WITH INTEREST AT THE RATE OF 18 PERCENT PER ANNUM FROM THE DATE ON WHICH THE AMOUNTS BECAME DUE UNDER THE WORK ORDER DATED 02.03.2019, UNTIL THE DATE OF ACTUAL PAYMENT IN. ANNEXURE- C AND ETC.

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

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURAJ GOVINDARAJ

ORAL ORDER

The Petitioner is before this Court seeking for the following reliefs:

a) ISSUE A WRIT OF MANDAMUS directing the Respondents to consider the final requisition/ appeal dated 10.11.2025 at Annexure-K and K1 and further direct the respondents to release the amounts lawfully due to the Petitioner, 1,04,54,861/- (Rupees One Crore Four Lakh Fifty-Four Thousand Eight Hundred Sixty-One only), together with interest at the rate of 18% per annum from the date on which the amounts became due under the Work Order

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dated 02.03.2019, until the date of actual payment; in. Annexure-C

b) Grant such other and further reliefs as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit, just, and proper in the interest of justice and equity.

It is the case of the Petitioner that the bills which had been submitted by the Petitioner for the works carried out were partly paid by the respondents. It is further submitted that even though the Petitioner, as per the meeting proceedings, reduced the bills amount substantially, the respondents have not made the payment. It is also submitted that the Petitioner submitted representations dated 30.09.2020, 01.03.2021, 21.02.2022, 08.05.2023, 09.08.2024, 15.09.2025 and 18.10.2025 vide Annexures-J to J7, which were not considered by the respondents. As such, the Petitioner submits that final requisition / appeal / representations dated 10.11.2025 at Annexures-K and K1 seeking for the said payments were submitted to the respondents. The said representations not having been considered, the Petitioner is before this Court seeking for the aforesaid reliefs.

Whenever any bills and/or representation is submitted to the employer to make payment, it is

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required for the said employer to consider the said bills/representation and either make payment or reject the request made within a reasonable period of time.

Needless to say, if an order of rejection is passed, the same is required to be accompanied by reasons. Neither having been done, this Court passes the following:

ORDER

i) The Writ Petition is allowed .

ii) A mandamus is issued directing respondents to consider the final requisition / appeal / representations dated 10.11.2025 at Annexures-K and K1 and pass necessary orders within a period of 30 days from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.

iii) It is made clear that this Court has not expressed any opinion on the entitlement of the Petitioner to the money spent.

SD/(SURAJ GOVINDARAJ) JUDGE

PRS List No.: 1 Sl No.: 34.1