Dismissed¶38

Sri H a Gangothri D/O Appaji v. the Government of India

Karnataka HC4 Feb 2026WP/8550/2020

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Karnataka High Court; WP 8550/2020 (GM-RES); M.G.S. Kamal; 04.02.2026; STD/ISD telephone booth licence renewal; Bangalore City Railway Station; South Western Railway; Railway Board; Indian Railway Station Development Corporation (IRSDC); Annexure-E to E3 dated 20.03.2020; Articles 226 and 227 Constitution of India; mandamus; infructuous writ petition; licence renewed upto 31.03.2026; liberty to apply for stall/booth allotment; no precipitation till consideration.

What did the court decide?

Petition dismissed as infructuous; petitioners given liberty to apply for allotment of stall/booths for any other suitable lawful business purpose, and respondents directed not to precipitate the matter till any such applications are considered in accordance with law. ¶38

Sri H a Gangothri D/O Appaji Vs the Government of… — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

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Issue for consideration

Whether the respondents should be directed to consider and renew the petitioners' applications (Annexure-E to E3 dated 20.03.2020) for renewal of licence for running STD/PCO booths at Bangalore Railway Station.

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Court's answer

The writ petition fails and is dismissed as infructuous, since no STD/ISD telephone booth facility is presently provided at Bangalore City Railway Station as sought by the petitioners.

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Key takeaways

Notwithstanding the dismissal, petitioners are at liberty to make an application for allotment of a stall or booths for any other suitable business purpose, if permissible in accordance with law.obiter¶39
Given the petitioners' submission that the licence has been renewed up to 31.03.2026, respondent authorities shall not precipitate the matter until consideration of any applications made by the petitioners in accordance with law.obiter¶41

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Karnataka High Court (M.G.S. Kamal J.), W.P. No. 8550 of 2020 (GM-RES), oral order dated 04.02.2026: Four persons holding a licence dated 21.06.2010 to run STD/ISD telephone booths at Bangalore City Railway Station moved the Court under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution seeking mandamus to the Railway authorities (Railway Board, South Western Railway Divisional Office, and IRSDC) to consider and renew their licence-renewal applications vide Annexure-E to E3 dated 20.03.2020. Respondents' counsel stated that no STD/ISD telephone booth facility is presently provided at the station; petitioners' counsel, while not disputing this, submitted that licence fee had been received and the licence renewed up to 31.03.2026, with petitioners running mobile services and a mobile charging centre. Holding that the petition had become infructuous, the Court dismissed it, while granting petitioners liberty to apply for allotment of a stall or booths for any other suitable business purpose permissible in accordance with law, and directing respondent authorities not to precipitate the matter till consideration of any such applications made in accordance with law.

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NC: 2026:KHC:6423 WP No. 8550 of 2020

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HC-KAR

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

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DATED THIS THE 4^TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026

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BEFORE

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THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.G.S. KAMAL WRIT PETITION NO. 8550 OF 2020 (GM-RES)

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BETWEEN:

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SRI H A GANGOTHRI, D/O APPAJI AGED ABOUT 40 YEARS RESIDING AT NO.79, EWS COLONY 8^TH CROSS, KENGERI BENGALURU SOUTH-560 060.

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SMT JAMUNA V., D/O VENKATA SHETTY AGED ABOUT 44 YEARS RESIDING AT NO.60/3 13^TH MAIN ROAD, KP AGRAHARA 1^ST CROSS, MAGADI ROAD BANGALORE-560 023.

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Digitally signed by SUMA B N Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

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T. THIMMAIAH S/O LATE KITTAPPA AGED ABOUT 53 YEARS NO.293, NEAR GOVERNMENT SCHOOL GOLLARAPALYA, BENGALURU NORTH VISWANEEDAM BENGALURU -560 091.

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SRI SYED MUSHTAQ AHAMED S/O SYED AHAMED HUSSAIN AGED ABOUT 67 YEARS R/AT NO.204, 1^ST FLOOR 3^RD MAIN, DEVARAJ ARASU NAGAR OLD GUDDADA HALLI BENGALURU -560 026.

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…PETITIONERS

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NC: 2026:KHC:6423 WP No. 8550 of 2020

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HC-KAR

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(BY SRI. JEEVAN S.M.,ADVOCATE FOR SRI. N. SHIVA KUMAR .,ADVOCATE)

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AND:

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THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS RAILWAY BOARD NEW DELHI-110 001 REP BY ITS SECRETARY.

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THE SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY DIVISIONAL OFFICE COMMERCIAL BRANCH BANGALORE CITY BANGALORE-560 023 REP BY ITS SR. DIVISIONAL COMMERCIAL MANAGER.

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INDIAN RAILWAY STATION DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION LIMITED SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY BENGALURU-560 023 REP BY ITS GENERAL MANAGER.

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…RESPONDENTS

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(BY SRI. VAIBHAV MALIMATH., ADVOCATE FOR R1 TO R3)

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THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO DIRECT THE RESPONDENTS TO CONSIDER AND RENEW THE APPLICATIONS FOR SEEKING RENEWAL OF LICENSE VIDE ANNEXURE-E TO E3 DATED 20.03.2020 FOR RUNNING STD.PCOs BOOTHS AT BANGALORE RAILWAY STATION.

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

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CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.G.S. KAMAL

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NC: 2026:KHC:6423 WP No. 8550 of 2020

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HC-KAR

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ORAL ORDER

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Petitioners, who were issued with a licence dated 21.06.2010 to run STD/ISD telephone booths in Bangalore City Railway Station are before this Court, seeking relief of issue of mandamus to respondents to consider and renew the application seeking renewal of licence for running STD/ISD telephone booths at Bangalore City Railway Station.

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Learned counsel for respondents on the other hand submits that presently there are no STD/ISD telephone booth facilities provided in the Bangalore City Railway Station as sought for by the petitioners. Hence, submits the petition has become infructuous.

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In response, learned counsel for petitioners though does not dispute regarding STD/ISD booth facility not being run in the Bangalore City Railway Station, however, submits that the respondent authorities have already received licence fee and renewed the same upto March 31.03.2026 and petitioners are running mobile services and mobile charging centre in the premises.

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NC: 2026:KHC:6423 WP No. 8550 of 2020

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HC-KAR

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Since the petitioners are seeking direction to the respondents to consider and renew the applications seeking renewal of licence for running STD/ISD booths, in the light of submissions made by the learned counsel for the parties above regarding no such facility provided, writ petition fails as having become infructuous.

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Notwithstanding the above, petitioners are at liberty to make an application for allotment of stall or booths for any other suitable business purpose if permissible in accordance with law.

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Since according to the petitioners, respondent

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authorities have already renewed the licence upto 31.03.2026, respondent authorities shall not precipitate the matter till consideration of the applications, if made by the petitioners, in accordance with law.

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Sd/(M.G.S. KAMAL) JUDGE

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List No.: 1 Sl No.: 10

Sri H a Gangothri D/O Appaji v. the Government of India

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Sri H a Gangothri D/O Appaji v. the Government of India

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Why is it important?

What the court decided

Issues for consideration

Statutes considered

Procedural history

Parties & counsel

Coram

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