- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:35896-DB WA No. 259 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 13TH DAY OF JULY, 2026 PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH AND THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE T.M.NADAF WRIT APPEAL NO. 259 OF 2025 (S-PRO) BETWEEN: 1. THE CHAIRMAN, AIRPORT AUTHORITY OF INDIA, RAJIV GANDHI BHAWAN, NEW DELHI - 110 003. 2. GENERAL MANAGER (CIC), AIRPORTS AUTHORITY OF INDIA, (AAI) HAL AIRPORTS, BENGALURU - 560 017. …APPELLANTS (BY SRI. PRASAD K.R. RAO, ADVOCATE FOR SRI. PADMANABHA HOLLA S.,ADVOCATE) AND: 1. SRI. PRATHAP KUMAR SINGH, S/O R BALAJI SINGH, AGED ABOUT 65 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO. 35, 2ND CROSS, SGF-2, GUBBALA GATE, KANAKAPURA ROAD, BANGALORE - 560 062. 2. SRI. S. SHANMUGHA SUNDARAM, S/O S SANKARAN, AGED ABOUT 62 YEARS, Digitally signed by REKHA R Location: High Court of Karnataka - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:35896-DB WA No. 259 of 2025 RESIDING AT OLD NO. 364E NEW NO. 78A, 5TH CROSS, BHOOMI REDDY COLONY, NEW THIPPASANDRA, BANGALORE - 560 075. 3. SMT.S. RAMA, W/O S. GOPAL, AGED ABOUT 60 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO. 28, 3RD CROSS, CHURCH ROAD, NEW THPPASANDRA, BANGALORE - 560 075. 4. SRI V. SATYAM, AGED ABOUT 55 YEARS, ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER, C/O GENERAL MANAGER (CNS), AIRPORTS AUTHORITY OF INDIA, RAJIV GANDHI AIRPORTS, SHAMSHABAD, HYDERABAD - 501 221. …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. VENUGOPAL M S., ADVOCATE FOR R1 AND R2, R3 AND R4 ARE SERVED AND UNREPRESENTED) THIS WRIT APPEAL IS FILED UNDER SECTION 4 OF THE KARNATAKA HIGH COURT ACT, 1961, PRAYING TO ALLOW THIS WRIT APPEAL AND SET ASIDE THE JUDGEMENT AND ORDER DATED:24.07.2024 OF THE LEARNED SINGLE JUDGE IN WP NO.59853/20142.ISSUE ANY OTHER APPROPRIATE ORDER OR RELIEF AND ETC., THIS APPEAL, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, THIS DAY, JUDGMENT WAS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH and HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE T.M.NADAF - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:35896-DB WA No. 259 of 2025 ORAL JUDGMENT (PER: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH) Heard Mr.Prasad K.R Rao, learned counsel for Sri.Padmanabha, learned counsel appearing for the appellant and Sri.Venugopal M.S, learned counsel appearing for respondent Nos.1 and 2. 2. The writ petition was filed by the respondents who were working as Manager and they challenged the promotion of respondent No.4-Mr.V.Satyam on the post of Senior Manager vide order dated 24.04.2012 and subsequent promotion to the post of Assistant General Manager vide order dated 07.08.2014. 3. Admittedly, the respondents/petitioners were senior to respondent No.4. In the seniority list of Managers, the petitioners were senior to respondent No.4. As of today, the petitioners have retired on attaining the age of superannuation in the year 2019 and 2020 respectively. - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:35896-DB WA No. 259 of 2025 4. The learned counsel for the appellant-Airports Authority of India, submit that the Airports Authority has challenged the impugned judgment and order passed by the learned Single Judge dated 24.07.2024 in WP.No.59853/2014 only to the limited extent of payment of differential salary to them, as a result of their notional promotion and to the post of Senior Manager with effect from 01.07.2011 instead of 30.06.2014, with all consequential promotions along with the differential salary. 5. The judgment and order of the learned Single Judge is dated 24.07.2024, whereas the petitioners had already left the office in the year 2019 and 2020 respectively on attaining the age of superannuation. Therefore, we are of the considered view that even if the petitioners are entitled for the notional promotion to the post of Senior Manager with effect from 01.07.2011, after retirement they are not entitled to the differential pay. Therefore, except for the direction for payment of - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:35896-DB WA No. 259 of 2025 differential salary as a result of notional promotion to the petitioners, we affirm the order passed by the learned Single Judge. 6. With the aforesaid, we dispose of the present appeal. In view of disposal of the appeal, pending application/s if any, does not survive for consideration and the same are disposed of. Sd/- (D K SINGH) JUDGE Sd/- (T.M.NADAF) JUDGE RR List No.: 1 Sl No.: 22 ct-vn