- 1 - NC: 2025:KHC:7787 WP No. 2805 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 20TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR WRIT PETITION NO. 2805 OF 2025 (GM-RES) BETWEEN: SRI RAVICHANDRE GOWDA N R AGED ABOUT 56 YEARS, S/O N.L RACHE GOWDA, R/AT 62/B, 5TH MAIN, MARUTHI TEMPLE STREET, NEAR NALPAK HOTEL, KUVEMPUNAGAR, MYSURU DISTRICT - 570023. …PETITIONER (BY SRI.BIPIN HEGDE, ADVOCATE FOR SRI GAURAV N., ADVOCATE) AND: 1. STATE OF KARNATAKA BY ITS CHIEF SECRETARY, VIDHANA SOUDHA, DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI, BENGALURU-560 001. 2. THE UNDER SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS (D.P.A.R.), GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA, VIDHANA SOUDHA, BENGALURU-560001. 3. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, KARNATAKA LOKAYUKTA, NO. 317, PADMALAYA, DEWANS ROAD, SHIVARAMPET, MYSURU, KARNATAKA-570004. …RESPONDENTS (BY SMT. RASHMI JADHAV, ADDL. SPP FOR R.1 AND R2; SRI LETHIF B., ADV, FOR R.3 V/O DATED 20.02.2025) THIS W.P. IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA R/W SECTION 482 OF THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, 1973 PRAYING TO QUASH THE COMMUNICATION DTD. Digitally signed by VANAMALA N Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - NC: 2025:KHC:7787 WP No. 2805 of 2025 19.09.2022 BEARING NO.CSUI 51 SAS 2022 WHICH IS PRODUCED HERETO AS ANNX-A AND DIRECT THE R-2 HEREIN, TO GRANT APPROVAL UNDER SECTION 17(A) OF THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT, 1988 AND DIRECT R-3 HEREIN, TO REGISTER THE FIR AND CONDUCT INVESTIGATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR ORAL ORDER In this petition, the petitioner seeks the following reliefs: Wherefore, the petitioner most humbly prays that this Hon'ble Court may be pleased to: a. issue a Writ, Order or direction of appropriate nature of Quash the Communication dated 19.09.2022, bearing No.CSUI 51 SAS 2022, which is produced hereto as Annexure-'A'. AND b. Issue Writ, Order or direction of appropriate nature to Direct the Respondent No.2 herein, to Grant Approval under Section 17(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. AND c. Issue a Writ, Order or direction of appropriate nature to Direct Respondent No.3 to Register the F.I.R. & Conduct Investigation in accordance with law. AND/OR d. Pass such other Order/s as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and proper in the ends of justice." 2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Additional State Public Prosecutor for respondent - 3 - NC: 2025:KHC:7787 WP No. 2805 of 2025 Nos.1 and 2 and learned counsel for respondent No.3. Perused the material on record. 3. In addition to reiterating the various contentions urged in the petition and referring to the material on record, learned counsel for the petitioner invited my attention to the impugned order dated 19.09.2022 passed by respondent No.2 under Section 17(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 in order to point out that the said order passed by respondent No.2 refusing to grant approval for conduct of enquiry/investigation for the offences alleged by the petitioner by passing impugned non-speaking, cryptic, laconic and unreasoned order without application of mind, which is contrary to the following judgment of the Apex Court and this Court . • Yashwant Sinha v. Central Bureau of Investigation - (2020) 2 SCC 338. • Shreeroopa v. State of Karnataka - (2022) SCC OnLine Kar 1714. • Prakash Singh Badal v. State of Punjab- (2007) 1 SCC 1. - 4 - NC: 2025:KHC:7787 WP No. 2805 of 2025 • Inspector of Police v. Battenapatia Venkata Ratnam - (2015) 13 SCC 87. • Indra Devi v. State of Rajasthan - (2021) 8 SCC 768. • Shankara Bhat v State of Kerala and Ors - (2021) SCC OnLine Ker 16357. 4. It is therefore submitted that the impugned order deserves to be set aside and the matter remitted back to respondent No.2 for re-consideration afresh in accordance with law. 5. Per contra, learned counsel for respondent No.3 and learned Additional State Public Prosecutor for respondent Nos.1 and 2, submit that there is no merit in the petition and the same is liable to be dismissed. 6. Before adverting to the rival contentions, it would be necessary to extract the impugned order/communication which reads as under: ಕಾಟಕ ಕಾಟಕ ಕಾಟಕ ಕಾಟಕ ಸಾರ ಸಾರ ಸಾರ ಸಾರ ¸ÀASÉå:¹.C¸ÀÄ.E51J¸ïJJ¸ï2022 ಕಾಟಕ ಸಾರ ಸ ಾಲಯ ೊಠ ಸಂೆ.15 '' ಾನ ೌಧ ¨ ¨ÉAUÀ¼ÀÆgÀÄ, ¢£ÁAPÀ 19.09.2022. - 5 - NC: 2025:KHC:7787 WP No. 2805 of 2025 ಇಂದ: ಸಾರದ ಾಯದ ಬ"ಂ# ಮತು' ಆಡ*ತ ಸುಾರ+ೆ ಇ,ಾೆ ಾನ ೌಧ, -ೆಂಗಳ0ರು. ಇವ23ೆ: 4ಾನ ,ೋಾಯುಕ'ರು ಕಾಟಕ ,ೋಾಯುಕ' ಅಂ-ೇಡ78 ೕ9 ಬಹುಮಹಗಳ ಕಟ;ಡ -ೆಂಗಳ0ರು. 4ಾನ<ೆ, ಷಯ: >ೕ ರಚಂ@ೆ>ೕ3ೌಡ, ಅಡAೇB & Drlgï, Cಾಮ<ಾಜಪFರಂ, Gೖಸೂರು ಇವರು ಅಂ#ನ Gೖಸೂರು I,ಾJ9ಾ2 Kಾಗೂ ಅಂ#ನ ವವಾLಪಕ M@ೇಶಕರು, ಕಾಟಕ ೈಮಗO ಅPವೃ#R Mಗಮ MಯSತ, -ೆಂಗಳ0ರು ರವರ ರುದR ಭ>Uಾ;Cಾರ Mಗ>ಹದಳ, Gೖಸೂರು ಇVJ ಸVJ ರುವ ದೂ2ನ ಕು2ತು. ಉ,ೆJೕಖ: ಭ>Uಾ;Cಾರ Mಗ>ಹದಳ ಇವರ ಪತ> ಸಂೆ: ಎ /ೇಂಕ/Z.[ಾ/Gೖ/ಎ\.]. ಅI/70/2021, #ಾಂಕ. 17.12.2021. GೕVನ ಷಯೆ7 ಸಂಬಂ9 ದಂ^ೆ, ಉ,ೆJೕ_ತ (1)ರ ವತ>ದVJ `ಂ#ನ Gೖಸೂರು I,ಾJ9ಾ2 Kಾಗೂ `ಂ#ನ ವವಾLಪಕ M@ೇಶಕರು, ಕಾಟಕ ೈಮಗO ಅPವೃ#R Mಗಮ MಯSತ, -ೆಂಗಳ0ರು ರವರ ರುದR 4ಾಡ,ಾದ ಆ<ೋಪಗಳ ಕು2ತು ಭ>Uಾ;Cಾರ ಪ>aಬಂಧಕ ಾbc, 1988ರ ಕಲಂ 17(ಎ)ರ ತMೆ ೈ3ೊಳdಲು ಪeಾನುಮaಯನುf ೋ2ರುವ ಪ>ಾ'ವೆಯನುf M<ಾಕ2 @ೆ ಎಂದು ತಮ3ೆ a*ಸಲು M@ೇಸಲgh;@ೆcೕೆ. ತಮi ನಂಬು3ೆಯ sd/- (jೇkl ತರಕm) ಸಾರದ ಅ9ೕನ ಾಯದ, - 6 - NC: 2025:KHC:7787 WP No. 2805 of 2025 ¹§âA¢ ªÀÄvÀÄÛ DqÀ½vÀ ¸ÀÄzsÁgÀuÉ E¯ÁSÉ ¸ÉêÉUÀ¼ÀÄ -1 7. As is clear from the impugned communication/order that the same is an absolutely cryptic, laconic, unreasoned and non-speaking order/communication without any application of mind whatsoever, as to why approval for the conduct of inquiry/enquiry/investigation was being declined/refused by respondent No.2. In other words, the impugned order being passed without assigning any reasons as to why the request of the petitioner to conduct inquiry/enquiry/investigation was declined and without referring to the contentions of the petitioner or material on record, I am of the considered opinion that the impugned non-speaking order passed without application of mind runs contrary to the principles laid down by the Apex Court and this Court in the aforesaid judgments warranting interference by this Court in the present petition. 2. In the result, I proceed to pass the following: - 7 - NC: 2025:KHC:7787 WP No. 2805 of 2025 ORDER (i) The petition is hereby allowed. ii) The impugned Communication/order dated 19.09.2022 bearing No.CSUI 51 SAS 2022 vide Annexure-A is hereby set aside. (iii) Matter is remitted back to respondent No.2 for reconsideration afresh in accordance with law. (iv) Respondent No.2 shall reconsider the matter afresh and pass appropriate orders in accordance with law within a period of one (1) month from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. Sd/- (S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR) JUDGE SA List No.: 1 Sl No.: 64