Extracted from the PDF above. The PDF is authoritative.
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HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:18666 WP No. 23546 of 2016
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 3RD DAY OF JUNE, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM WRIT PETITION NO. 23546 OF 2016 (LB-RES)
BETWEEN:
1.
MR. HERALD JOAN MONTEIRO AGED ABOUT 52 YEARS, S/O LATE GEORGE MONTERIO, R/AT HOUSE NO. 3-128, MARY GOLD, PEDAMALAI POST, NEERMARGA VILLAGE, MANGALORE-575 029. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. KESHAVA REDDY M., ADVOCATE) AND:
1.
THE COMMISSIONER MANGALORE URBAN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, MANGALORE TALUK-575 006.
2.
THE PRESIDENT NEERMARGA GRAMA PANCHAYATH, NEERMARGA-575 029, MANGALORE.
3.
THE PANCHAYAT DEVELOPMENT OFFICER NEERMARGA GRAMA PANCHAYAT, NEERMARGA-575 029, MANGALORE.
4.
MRS. MABEL D'SOUZA
Digitally signed by CHAITHRA A Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA
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HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:18666 WP No. 23546 of 2016
WIFE OF MR. ARWIN RODRIGUES, AGED ABOUT 36 YEARS, RESIDING AT NEERMARGA PADAVU HOUSE, PEDAMALAI POST, NEERMARGA VILLAGE-575 029, MANGALORE. …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI VIVEKANANDA PONIYALA, ADVOCATE FOR R-1, SRI SHARANJITH SHETTY K., ADVOCATE FOR R-3 AND SMT.
MAMATHA ROY, ADVOCATE FOR R-4)
THIS WP IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO CALL FOR ORIGINAL RECORDS FROM THE RESPONDENTS PERTAINING TO THIS CASE AND AFTER PERUSAL OF THE SAME AND ETC.,
THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING-B GROUP, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:
CORAM: HON'BLE MR JUSTICE SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM
ORAL ORDER This petition is filed assailing the resolution dated 07.01.2016 passed by respondent No.3/Neermarga Grama Panchayat, thereby assigning a door number to the property owned by respondent No.4.
2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner, learned standing counsel appearing for respondents No.2 and 3. Perused the records.
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HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:18666 WP No. 23546 of 2016
3. On examining the records, it is noticed that the respondent No.4 having secured a building license, has constructed a residential house. The petitioner herein, assailing the construction of the building on the premises that it is in violation of license and sanction of building plan issued by respondents No.2 and 3, knocked the doors of this court in W.P.No.16331/2012. This Court, disposed of the writ petition directing respondents No.2 and 3 to consider the petitioner's representation and take appropriate action.
4. The counsel appearing for the grama panchayat submits that the construction undertaken by the respondent No.4 strictly adheres to the approved building plan and license and therefore they have not contemplated any action against respondent No.4.
5. Be that as it may. Records reveal that the petitioner again approached this Court by filing a W.P.No. 14019/2014. This Court in the second round of litigation,
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HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:18666 WP No. 23546 of 2016
however, was not inclined to entertain the writ petition. The Co-ordinate bench, vide order dated 14.08.2014, taking note of the statement made by the counsel appearing for respondents No.2 and 3, held that the petitioner's representation is decided and therefore the petitioner ought to have filed an appeal in a manner known to law. Without granting any indulgence, that writ petition is dismissed.
6. It is evident from the records that Respondent No.3 has passed a resolution assigning a door number to the residential house constructed by Respondent No.4, the said resolution being annexed to the petition as Annexure- H. This resolution appears to have been passed following the completion of the construction work undertaken by Respondent No.4. It is also pertinent to note that this resolution by Respondent No.3 was preceded by an earlier
order passed by the said respondent on a representation submitted by the petitioner, as is evident from Annexure-
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HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:18666 WP No. 23546 of 2016
D, which forms part of the record and emanates from an
order passed by a Co-ordinate Bench of this Court.
7. The petitioner, who claims to be the adjoining property owner, has sought to impugn the resolution assigning a door number to Respondent No.4’s property. However, a careful perusal of the petition reveals that the petitioner has neither challenged the prior order passed by Respondent No.3 on his representation nor provided any substantive grounds to impeach the validity of such order. The said order forms the foundational basis for the subsequent resolution assigning the door number. Without first assailing the foundational order which apparently rejected or disposed of the petitioner’s objections,it is impermissible for the petitioner to selectively challenge the consequential resolution alone.
8. The law does not permit a piecemeal challenge to administrative decisions when a prior binding order has gone unchallenged. In the absence of any averment, much
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HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:18666 WP No. 23546 of 2016
less a specific plea, indicating that the petitioner has questioned the legality or propriety of the earlier order passed by Respondent No.3, the present writ petition, which seeks to directly assail the resolution at Annexure- H, is rendered unsustainable in law. A feeble and indirect attempt has been made by the petitioner to question the resolution, but such challenge, unsupported by a prior challenge to the original order, is legally untenable.
9. Accordingly, the petition, being devoid of a challenge to the foundational order and lacking any cogent explanation for the omission thereof, is not maintainable and deserves to be dismissed on this ground alone. For the reasons stated so supra, the writ petition is devoid of merits and accordingly, stands dismissed.
Sd/- (SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM) JUDGE
HDK List No.: 1 Sl No.: 29