- 1 - NC: 2025:KHC:7126-DB CCC No. 1151 of 2023 C/W CCC No. 1152 of 2023 & CCC No. 534 of 2024 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 17TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2025 PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR N. V. ANJARIA, CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE M.I.ARUN CIVIL CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 1151 OF 2023 CONNECTED WITH CIVIL CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 1152 OF 2023 AND CIVIL CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 534 OF 2024 IN CCC NO.1151/2023: BETWEEN: 1. SRI YOGESH S/O M. VENKATEGOWDA AGED ABOUT 41 YEARS R/AT SOMANAHALLI VILLAGE DODDU HOBLI, HASSAN TALUK HASSAN DISTRICT - 573 136. 2. SRI RANGASWAMY S/O NARASIMHAIAH AGED ABOUT 51 YEARS R/AT LINGALASAHALLI VILLAGE DODDU HOBLI, HASSAN TALUK HASSAN DISTRICT - 573 136. 3. SRI PUTTARAJU S/O SHIVANAJEGOWDA AGED ABOUT 51 YEARS R/AT SOMANAHALLI VILLAGE DODDU HOBLI, HASSAN TALUK HASSAN DISTRICT - 573 136. Digitally signed by H K HEMA Location: High Court of Karnataka - 2 - NC: 2025:KHC:7126-DB CCC No. 1151 of 2023 C/W CCC No. 1152 of 2023 & CCC No. 534 of 2024 4. SRI S. NINGARAJU S/O SIDDEGOWDA AGED ABOUT 47 YEARS R/AT SOMANAHALLI VILLAGE DODDU HOBLI, HASSAN TALUK HASSAN DISTRICT - 573 136. …COMPLAINANTS (BY SRI A. MAHAMMED TAHIR, ADVOCATE) AND: 1. SHRI ANJUM PARWEZ PRINCIPAL SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF PANCHAYAT RAJ M.S. BUILDING BANGALORE - 560 001. 2. G. BASAVARAJU ELECTION COMMISSIONER KSCMF BUILDING ANNEX CUNNINGHAM ROAD BANGALORE - 560 052. ... ACCUSED 3. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA DEPARTMENT OF PANCHAYATH RAJ M.S. BUILDING BANGALORE - 560 001 REP. BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY. ...PROFORMA RESPONDENT (BY SRI K. SHASHI KIRAN SHETTY, ADVOCATE GENERAL ALONG WITH SMT. PRATHIMA HONNAPURA, AAG ALONG WITH SMT. PRAMODHINI KISHAN, AGA FOR R.1 & R.3; SRI K.N. PHANINDRA, SENIOR ADVOCATE FOR SMT. VAISHALI HEGDE, ADVOCATE FOR R.2.) - 3 - NC: 2025:KHC:7126-DB CCC No. 1151 of 2023 C/W CCC No. 1152 of 2023 & CCC No. 534 of 2024 THIS CCC IS FILED UNDER SECTIONS 11 AND 12 OF THE CONTEMPT OF COURTS ACT, 1971 READ WITH UNDER ARTICLE 215 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA, PRAYING TO INITIATE CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE ACCUSED NOS.1 AND 2 FOR NOT COMPLYING WITH THE ORDER/DIRECTION DATED 08.09.2022 IN W.P.NO.9751/2021 PASSED BY THIS HON'BLE COURT AND PUNISH THE ACCUSED NOS.1 AND 2 FOR WILLFUL DISOBEDIENCE, IN EXERCISE OF THE POWERS UNDER ARTICLE 215 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA READ WITH SECTIONS 11 AND 12 OF THE CONTEMPT OF COURTS ACT, 1971, ETC. IN CCC NO.1152/2023: BETWEEN: 1. SRI B.N. DORAISWAMY S/O LATE NARAYAN AGED ABOUT 40 YEARS R/AT BYRAPURAANCHE KASABA HOBLI, ALUR TALUK HASSAN DISTRICT - 573 218. 2. SRI NAGARAJ S/O NINGEGOWDA AGED ABOUT 53 YEARS R/O SOMANAHALLI HASSAN TALUK HASSAN DISTRICT - 573 136. 3. SMT. LATHA MANJUSHREE W/O. DEVIPRASAD AGED ABOUT 49 YEARS R/AT KOGILU CROSS BELUR TALUK HASSAN DISTRICT - 573 115. - 4 - NC: 2025:KHC:7126-DB CCC No. 1151 of 2023 C/W CCC No. 1152 of 2023 & CCC No. 534 of 2024 4. SRI H. RAME GOWDA S/O LATE HUCCHEGOWDA AGED ABOUT 64 YEARS R/AT OLD MYSORE HOBLI HOLENARASIPUR TALUK HASSAN DISTRICT - 573 211. ...COMPLAINANTS (BY SRI A. MAHAMMED TAHIR, ADVOCATE) AND: 1. L.K. ATHEEQ S/O KALIMULLA KHAN AGED ABOUT 58 YEARS ADDITIONAL CHIEF SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF PANCHAYAT RAJ M.S. BUILDING, BANGALORE - 560 001. 2. G. BASAVARAJU MAJOR, ELECTION COMMISSIONER, KSCMF BUILDING ANNEX CUNNINGHAM ROAD BANGALORE - 560 052. ... ACCUSED 3. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA DEPARTMENT OF PANCHAYATH RAJ M.S. BUILDING, BANGALORE - 560 001 REP. BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY. ...PROFORMA RESPONDENT (BY SRI K. SHASHI KIRAN SHETTY, ADVOCATE GENERAL ALONG WITH SMT. PRATHIMA HONNAPURA, AAG ALONG WITH SMT. PRAMODHINI KISHAN, AGA FOR R.1 & R.3; SRI K.N. PHANINDRA, SENIOR ADVOCATE FOR SMT. VAISHALI HEGDE, ADVOCATE FOR R.2.) - 5 - NC: 2025:KHC:7126-DB CCC No. 1151 of 2023 C/W CCC No. 1152 of 2023 & CCC No. 534 of 2024 THIS CCC IS FILED UNDER SECTIONS 11 AND 12 OF THE CONTEMPT OF COURTS ACT, 1971 READ WITH UNDER ARTICLE 215 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA, PRAYING TO INITIATE CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE ACCUSED NOS.1 AND 2 FOR NOT COMPLYING WITH THE ORDER/DIRECTION DATED 08.09.2022 IN W.P.NO.10649/2021 PASSED BY THIS HON'BLE COURT AND PUNISH THE ACCUSED NOS.1 AND 2 FOR WILLFUL DISOBEDIENCE, IN EXERCISE OF THE POWERS UNDER ARTICLE 215 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA READ WITH SECTIONS 11 AND 12 OF THE CONTEMPT OF COURTS ACT, 1971, ETC. IN CCC NO.534/2024: BETWEEN: 1. THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION KARNATAKA REPRESENTED BY ITS UNDER SECRETARY PRAKASH S. MARBALLI PRESENT OFFICE AT NO.16 2ND AND 3RD FLOORS, BELLARY ROAD SADASHIVANAGAR BENGALURU - 560 080. ...COMPLAINANT (BY SRI K.N. PHANINDRA, SENIOR ADVOCATE FOR SMT. VAISHALI HEGDE, ADVOCATE) AND: 1. SMT. UMA MAHADEVAN REP. BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND PANCHAYAT RAJ - 6 - NC: 2025:KHC:7126-DB CCC No. 1151 of 2023 C/W CCC No. 1152 of 2023 & CCC No. 534 of 2024 DEPARTMENT, VIKASA SOUDHA DR. AMBEDKAR ROAD BENGALURU - 560 001. ... ACCUSED 2. STATE OF KARNATAKA REPRESENTED BY CHIEF SECRETARY VIDHANA SOUDHA DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BANGALORE - 560 001. ...PROFORMA RESPONDENT (BY SRI K. SHASHI KIRAN SHETTY, ADVOCATE GENERAL ALONG WITH SMT. PRATHIMA HONNAPURA, AAG ALONG WITH SMT. PRAMODHINI KISHAN, AGA) THIS CCC IS FILED UNDER SECTIONS 11 AND 12 OF THE CONTEMPT OF COURTS ACT READ WITH ARTICLE 215 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA, PRAYING TO INITIATE CONTEMPT OF COURT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE ACCUSED FOR WILLFUL DISOBEDIENCE OF THE FINAL ORDER DATED 19.12.2023 PASSED BY THIS HON'BLE COURT IN W.P.NO.20426/2021, IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE AND EQUITY. THESE PETITIONS, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, JUDGMENT WAS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE MR. JUSTICE N. V. ANJARIA and HON'BLE MR JUSTICE M.I.ARUN - 7 - NC: 2025:KHC:7126-DB CCC No. 1151 of 2023 C/W CCC No. 1152 of 2023 & CCC No. 534 of 2024 ORAL JUDGMENT (PER: HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE MR. JUSTICE N. V. ANJARIA) All the three contempt petitions are cognate. They are therefore dealt with simultaneously for the purpose of disposal by this order, treating petition No.534 of 2024 to be the main. 2. Heard learned Senior Advocate Mr. K.N. Phanindra, assisted by learned Senior Advocate Ms. Vaishali Hegde for the applicant- State Election Commission in Contempt Petition No.534 of 2024, as well as learned Advocate General Mr. Shashikiran Shetty assisted by learned Additional Advocate General Smt. Prathima Honapura and learned Advocate Mr. A. Mohammad Tahir, who was for the complainant, for the respective parties in the contempt petitions concerned. 3. CCC No.534 of 2024 is filed by the State Election Commission in respect of the order dated 19.12.2023 passed in Writ Petition No.20426 of 2021, in which the court recorded the statement made on behalf of the State regarding expeditious conducting of delimitation process. Learned Advocate General gave an - 8 - NC: 2025:KHC:7126-DB CCC No. 1151 of 2023 C/W CCC No. 1152 of 2023 & CCC No. 534 of 2024 undertaking that the exercise of delimitation will be completed in two weeks. It was further stated that the exercise about reservation and calling for objections to the draft notification will be completed within ten days. It was provided in the said order that within the stipulated time, the State will undertake the exercise of completing further measures. 4. It was stated today by learned Advocate General that delimitation of the wards has been carried out. 4.1 In relation to holding of the elections, learned Advocate General makes a statement that the order of learned Single Judge regarding providing reservation will be acted upon by issuing necessary notification on or before 30.05.2025. 5. In view of the above, CCC No.534 of 2024 does not survive and stands disposed of. However, the State Election Commission is at liberty to revive the contempt petition if the commitment by the State regarding the time table of the elections is not carried out. - 9 - NC: 2025:KHC:7126-DB CCC No. 1151 of 2023 C/W CCC No. 1152 of 2023 & CCC No. 534 of 2024 6. In view of the above order passed in CCC No.534 of 2024, nothing survives in CCC No.1151 of 2023 and CCC No.1152 of 2023. They also stand disposed of accordingly. Sd/- (N. V. ANJARIA) CHIEF JUSTICE Sd/- (M.I.ARUN) JUDGE hkh. List No.: 1 Sl No.: 39