- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC-D:7483-DB WP No.105458 of 2021 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD BENCH DATED THIS THE 10TH DAY OF JUNE, 2025 PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R.DEVDAS AND THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE K V ARAVIND WRIT PETITION NO. 105458 OF 2021 (S-KAT) BETWEEN: 1. SRI PRAHALAD R DESAI S/O RAGHAVENDRA DESAI AGE. 57 YEARS, SENIOR MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTOR REGIONAL TRANSPORT OFFICE, NAVANAGAR, HUBBALLI-580025. 2. SRI SHIVASHANKARA S/O LATE BASAPPA AGE. 55 YEARS, SENIOR INSPECTOR OF MOTOR VEHICLES, RTO BALLARI, BALLARI DISTRICT. 3. SRI P MANJUNATHA AGE. 56 YEARS, S/O. PAKEERAPPA SENIOR INSPECTOR OF MOTOR VEHICLE O/O. RTO, HOSPET, BALLARI DISTRICT. 4. SRI TIRTH SHANMUKHAPPA S/O BHIMSHA AGE. 57 YEARS, SENIOR INSPECTOR OF MOTOR VEHICLE O/O. RTO, BELAGAVI, BELAGAVI DISTRICT, NOW AT ARTO, JAMAKHANDI, DIST. BAGALKOT. 5. SRI. APPAYYA NALATWADAMATH S/O SHIDDAYYA AGE. 60 YEARS, ASSISTANT REGIONAL TRANSPORT OFFICER O/O ASSISTANT REGIONAL TRANSPORT OFFICE, GOKAK, TQ. GOKAK, DIST. BELAGAVI. 6. SRI PRADEEP M HADAGALI S/O M.V.HADAGALI AGE. 42 YEARS, INSPECTOR OF MOTOR VEHICLE, O/O. RTO DAVANAGERE, NOW AT REGIONAL TRANSPORT OFFICE, HOSPET, DIST. BALLARI. MOHANKUMAR B SHELAR Digitally signed by MOHANKUMAR B SHELAR Location: High Court of Karnataka, Dharwad Bench Date: 2025.06.11 11:35:10 +0530 - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC-D:7483-DB WP No.105458 of 2021 7. SRI S .MONOHAR KUMAR S/O M.S. SHAMARAO AGE. 59 YEARS, WORKING AS DRIVER, O/O. REGIONAL TRANSPORT OFFICER, HOSPET, BALLARI. 8. SRI NAGESH V MUNDAS S/O VISHWANATH S MUNDAS AGE. 55 YEARS, SENIOR INSPECTOR OF MOTOR VEHICLES O/O DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, NAVANAGAR, DHARWAD, NOW WORKING AT ASSISTANT REGIONAL TRANSPORT OFFICER, DEVALAPUR ROAD, BAILHONGAL, DIST. DHARWAD. 9. SHRI SHAMBULINGA V R S/O LATE REVANA SIDDAPPA AGE. 63 YEARS, RETIRED REGIONAL TRANSPORT OFFICER, O/O. REGIONAL TRANSPORT OFFICER, BAGALKOT, DIST. BAGALKOT, R/AT. 1847/39, ‘BANASHANKARI’, FIRST MAIN, 3RD CROSS, VIDHAYNAGAR, DAVANAGERE-577005. 10. RAFEEQ AHAMED KITTUR S/O MEHABOOB SAB KITTUR AGE. 59 YEARS, SENIOR INSPECTOR OF MOTOR VEHICLES, O/O. RTO, BELAGAVI, BELAGAVI DISTRICT, NOW RETIRED, R/AT. NO.196, ARAVINDNAGAR, HUBBALLI-580024. 11. SRI KRISHNEGOWDA B P S/O LATE PUTTASWAMY GOWDA AGE. 51 YEARS, SENIOR INSPECTOR OF MOTOR VEHICLES, REGIONAL TRANSPORT OFFICE, KOPPAL, KOPPAL DISTRICT. …PETITIONERS (BY SRI. OMKAR L. DESAI, ADVOCATE FOR SRI. VIJAY KUMAR, ADVOCATE) - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC-D:7483-DB WP No.105458 of 2021 AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA REPD. BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT, M.S.BUILDING, DR. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI, BENGALURU-560001. 2. THE COMMISSIONER OF TRANSPORT 1ST FLOOR, ‘A’ BLOCK, BMTC COMPLEX, BENGALURU-560027. 3. THE KARNATAKA LOKAYUKTA REPD. BY ITS REGISTRAR, M.S.BUILDING, DR. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI, BENGALURU-560001. 4. THE ADDITIONAL REGISTRAR OF ENQUIRTY-2 KARNATAKA LOKAYUKTA, M.S.BUILDING, DR.AMBEDKAR VEEDHI, BENGALURU-560001. …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. T. HANUMAREDDY, AGA FOR R1 & R2; SRI. ANIL KALE, ADVOCATE FOR R3 & R4) THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA, PRAYING TO, SET ASIDE THE ORDER DATED 30.08.2021 PASSED BY THE KARNATAKA STATE ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL, BENGALURU IN APPLICATION NO.2774/2017, 2778/2017, 2780/2017, 2782/2017, 2786/2017, 2789/2017, NO.2793/2017, NO.2800/2017 NO.2824/2017, NO.2831/2017 AND 2832/2017 (VIDE ANNEXURE-A) AND ALLOW THE SAID APPLICATIONS AS PRAYED FOR & ETC. THIS WRIT PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING IN ‘B’ GROUP, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R.DEVDAS AND THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE K V ARAVIND - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC-D:7483-DB WP No.105458 of 2021 ORAL ORDER (PER: THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R.DEVDAS) Learned counsel for the petitioners fairly submits that another set of such writ petitions filed by the Government servants were taken up before the Hon’ble Apex Court in SLP Nos.13209-13210 of 2021 and the SLP’s were dismissed at the hands of the Apex Court on 26.09.2023. Learned counsel would therefore submit that this writ petition may be disposed of while reserving liberty to the petitioners to raise all contentions before the Enquiry Officer in the regular enquiry proceedings. 2. In fact, copy of the order dated 26.02.2024 in W.P.No.202446/2021 has been furnished by the learned counsel for the petitioners where similar orders have been passed. 3. Accordingly, the writ petition is disposed of while reserving liberty to the petitioners to raise all contentions before the Enquiry Officer in the regular - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC-D:7483-DB WP No.105458 of 2021 enquiry proceedings that would be initiated by the respondents. Ordered accordingly. Sd/- (R.DEVDAS) JUDGE Sd/- (K V ARAVIND) JUDGE MBS, CT:VP LIST NO.: 1 SL NO.: 42