- 1 - !" #$ %!&!'!! !!'' ($ ) * ! " #$ % ! $ %" %& '( # ) *$ + Digitally signed by SUMITRA SHERIGAR Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - , $ *# --.+ - /!! * --. + ) * 0 ! #+ &*+ $ # % $ $ ! $ # 1 $ - 3 - & 23452 627 89978: ;< :;<67= >3? 8=@;<<;3A B;62 627 C3A<7A63>:78?A7=C34A<7:>3?D36262798?6;7<;6;<68E7A 49>3?>;A8:=;<93<8: 2;< 89978: ;< >;:7= 858;A<6 627 F4=5@7A6 8A= 8B8?= =867= % 98<<7= DG 627 ?;AC;98: 7A;3? ;H;: $4=57 I $ 8A= ==;6;3A8: ;=8? ;A 3!3> A786;<238;F;A862857=G78?<B3?E;A5 8< =?;H7? @76 B;62 8A 8CC;=7A6 3A ... 8A= <4<68;A7= 5?;7H34< ;AF4?;7< 8A= <4CC4@D7= 63 627 <8@7 27?7>3?7 2;< C2;:=?7A 8A= 98?7A6< >;:7= 8 C:8;@ 976;6;3A D7>3?7 627 ?;D4A8: C:8;@;A5 C3@97A<86;3A 3> <.!- 27 ?;D4A8: C3A<;=7?;A5 627 7A6;?7 7H;=7AC7 3A ?7C3?= 5?8A67= C3@97A<86;3A 3> <.%-B;62;A67?7<686.J98>?3@627=8673> 976;6;3A 6;:: ?78:;<86;3A 8A= =;?7C67= ?7<93A=7A6 3- A<4?8AC73@98AG63=793<;6627<8@7 - 4 - " 55?;7H7=DG627<8;=F4=5@7A68A=8B8?=627 C:8;@8A6< 28H7 9?7>7??7= 62;< 89978: ;A B2;C2 ;6 ;< C3A67A=7=6286627=7C78<7=B8<8<E;::7==?;H7?8A=B8< 78?A;A5<-97?@3A62D46627?;D4A8:28<68E7A 2;< ;AC3@7 3A:G 86 <!- 97? @3A62 8A= >464?7 9?3<97C6< 8?7 A36 8==7= 27 8@34A6< 5?8A67= 4A=7? 3627? 278=< 8?7 8:<3 @785?7 27?7>3?7 ?7K47<67= >3? 7A28AC7@7A63>C3@97A<86;3A ! 78?=6278?54@7A6<3>D362<;=7< % < 627 8997::8A6< 28H7 >8;:7= 63 9?3=4C7 627 ;AC3@79?33>627?;D4A8:28<68E7A627A36;3A8:;AC3@7 3> 627 =7C78<7= 86 <!- 97? @3A62 8< 97? 627 54;=7:;A7<3>6278?A868E86867 758:7?H;C7<4623?;6G 8< 627 8CC;=7A6 ;< 3> 627 G78? . 8A= ;6 A77=< A3 ;A67?>7?7AC7 27 =7C78<7= B8< 857= G78?< 8A= 627 @4:6;9:;7?B8<?;526:G68E7A8<L%M<97?627C;686;3A3> 6273AMD:797N34?6;A - 5 - C3A<;=7?;A5 627 857 3> 627 =7C78<7= "J 3> 627 ;AC3@7 28< 63 D7 8==7= 63B8?=< >464?79?3<97C6<<627?78?7!=797A=7A6<627?;D4A8: 28< =7=4C7= "62 3> 627 ;AC3@7 63B8?=< 97?<3A8: 7N97A<7< 3> 627 =7C78<7= 24< 627 :3<< 3> =797A=7ACG C3@7<63 <!O"JNN%N"P<%&- & 4?627? 8< 97? 627 54;=7:;A7< 3> 627 3AMD:7 97N34?6;A627=;C64@3> ! " 8A= # $ % & $ ' 8997::8A6 3< 63 D7;A5 627 C2;:=?7A 3> 627 =7C78<7=8?77A6;6:7=>3?<"-78C263B8?=<:3<<3> 98?7A68:C3A<3?6;4@8A=8997::8A63<"8A=!D7;A5627 1 (2017) 16 SCC 680 2 (2018) 18 SCC 130 3 (2020) 9 SCC 644 - 6 - 98?7A6< 8?7 7A6;6:7= >3? <"- 78C2 >3? :3<< 3> >;:;8: C3A<3?6;4@ 27G 8?7 8:<3 7A6;6:7= >3? 8A 8@34A6 3> <- 4A=7? 627 C3AH7A6;3A8: 278=< ;7 :3<< 3> 7<68678A=>4A7?8:7N97A<7<8<97?627C;686;3A;A627C8<7 3> *4?98+ . 7AC7 627 C3@97A<86;3A ;< ?78<<7<<7= 8< 4A=7? 3<<3>=797A=7ACG <%&- 3<<3>C3A<3?6;4@*<"N!+ <"- 3AH7A6;3A8:278=< <- 368: 7<<8B8?=7=DG627?;D4A8: <."- <.%- +,-+./0.12/+3-45+ 3"6 27 A<4?8AC7 3@98AG 28< 8:?78=G =793<;67= 627 8@34A68B8?=7=DG627?;D4A8:24<6278997::8A6<8?7 7A6;6:7=>3?7A28AC7=C3@97A<86;3A3><"-B;62 ;A67?7<686%J98>?3@627=8673>976;6;3A6;::?78:;Q86;3A A627?7<4:6627>3::3B;A53?=7?;<98<<7= - 7 - *;+ 2789978:;<8::3B7=;A98?6 *;;+ 27 8997::8A6< 8?7 7A6;6:7= >3? 7A28AC7= C3@97A<86;3A 3> <"-8:3A5 B;62 ;A67?7<6 86%J 98>?3@627=8673>976;6;3A6;::?78:;Q86;3A3B7H7?8< 97? 3?=7? =867= ! 627 8997::8A6< 8?7 A36 7A6;6:7=>3?;A67?7<6>3?627=7:8G7=97?;3=3>.!=8G<;A >;:;A562789978: *;;;+ 7<93A=7A6 3-A<4?8AC7 3@98AG ;< =;?7C67= 63 =793<;6 627 8>3?7<8;= C3@97A<86;3A 8@34A6 B;62;A3A7@3A62>?3@627=8673>62;<F4=5@7A6 *;H+ A <4C2 =793<;6 8997::8A6 3<" 8A= ! D7;A5 62798?7A6<3>627=7C78<7=8?77A6;6:7=>3?8A8@34A63> 3 6/-.,8A=627G8?797?@;667=63B;62=?8B 627 7A6;?7 8@34A6 8:3A5 B;62 ;A67?7<6 8CC?47= 3A ;6 8A= 627 D8:8AC7 8@34A6 ;< 8993?6;3A7= 7K48::G 8@3A5 8997::8A63<638A=6278@34A6>8::7A63627;?<28?7 ;<63D7E796;A;N7= 793<;6;A8AG86;3A8:;Q7=8AE6;:: 627G8668;A6278573>@8F3?;6G8A=8>67?@8F3?;6G627G8?7 - 8 - 97?@;667= 63 B;62=?8B 627 7A6;?7 8@34A6 8:3A5 B;62 ;A67?7<68CC?47=3A;6 306 ('!! ) & ;<63:3%"