- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:4525-DB WA No. 1774 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 28TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2026 PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH AND THE HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE TARA VITASTA GANJU WRIT APPEAL NO. 1774 OF 2025 (S-RES) BETWEEN: 1. SRI SRINIVASA J M S/O SRI. MUNIYAPPA. AGED ABOUT 40 YEARS. WORKING AS HEAD MESSENGER. PF. NO 6226922 STATE BANK OF INDIA, P.C. EXTENSION BRANCH (40668). KALAR-563 101. AND PRESENTLY WORKING AT SBI, K.R. ROAD BRANCH, (BRANCH CODE 40033) HASKOTE-562 114. …APPELLANT (BY SRI. R B SADASIVAPPA., ADVOCATE) AND: 1. THE REGIONAL MANAGER STATE BANK OF INDIA, REGIONAL BUSINESS OFFICE - 6 (AO-1), NEW EXTENSION, DOOM LIGHT CIRCLE, KOLAR-563 101. 2. THE BRANCH MANAGER, STATE BANK OF INDIA, P.C. EXTENSION BRANCH, - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:4525-DB WA No. 1774 of 2025 KOLAR-563 101. …RESPONDENTS THIS WRIT APPEAL IS FILED U/S 4 OF THE KARNATAKA HIGH COURT ACT PRAYING TO CALLING FOR THE RECORDS OF WP No-23663/2025 BE PLEASED TO SET ASIDE THE IMPUGNED ORDER DATED 19.09.2025 PASSED BY THE LEARNED SINGLE JUDGE OF THIS HON'BLE COURT OF KARNATAKA BENGALURU IN WP No-23663/2025 (S-RES) AND CONSEQUENTLY THE PREMATURE TRANSFER ORDER OF THE APPELLANT DATED 04.06.2025 WHICH WAS PRODUCED AT ANNEXURE-A OF THE WP AND CONSEQUENTLY DIRECT THE RESPONDENTS TO RE TRANSFER THE PETITIONER/ APPELLANT TO THE ORIGINAL BRANCH OF STATE BANK OF INDIA AT P.C EXTENSION BRANCH KOLAR. 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 MS. JUSTICE TARA VITASTA GANJU ORAL JUDGMENT (PER: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH) The present intra Court appeal has been filed impugning the judgment and order dated 19.09.2025 passed by the learned Single Judge in Writ Petition No.23663/2025 (S-RES). 2. For the sake of convenience, the parties are referred to as per their ranking in the writ petition. - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:4525-DB WA No. 1774 of 2025 3. The petitioner is presently working as a Head Messenger in the State Bank of India. He had filed the writ petition impugning the transfer order dated 04.06.2025 whereby he was transferred from P.C. Extension Branch, Kolar to Hosakote Branch i.e, 40 kms away from the present place of posting. The petitioner had remained posted at Kolar for more than 12 long years. 4. Learned counsel for the appellant has submitted that the transfer order of the appellant/petitioner dated 04.06.2025 is in violation of the State Bank of India Guidelines i.e., Uniform Transfer Policy, 2022. The guidelines provide that the Subordinate Staff should not be transferred outside the Centre before completion of five years of service. 5. His contention is that the petitioner, who is employed as Head Messenger in the State Bank of India had completed only one and half years in the P.C. Extension Branch, Kolar, and therefore, the transfer order since - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:4525-DB WA No. 1774 of 2025 being in violation of the transfer policy ought to have been quashed by the learned Single Judge. However, as the learned Single Judge has dismissed the writ petition, the impugned judgment and order passed by the learned Single Judge, is required to be interfered with. 6. The next submission advanced by learned counsel for the appellant is that appellant is suffering from cancer and his posting at a distance of 40 kms away from the present place of posting would cause great inconvenience to him and his family. 7. We have considered the aforesaid submission and perused the impugned judgment and order passed by the learned Single Judge as well as the guidelines heavily relied on by the learned counsel for the appellant. 8. The learned Single Judge has noted the facts that petitioner was initially appointed at RBO, Kolar on 26.05.2011, where he continued till 27.10.2023 i.e., for more than 12 years. Thereafter, he was posted to P.C. - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:4525-DB WA No. 1774 of 2025 Extension Branch, Kolar, at a distance of 500 meters away from RBO, Kolar. Under the Uniform Transfer Policy, 2022, the petitioner was posted as Head Messenger to P.C. Extension Branch, Kolar vide letter dated 27.10.2023. He worked there till 04.06.2025 on transfer from his earlier RBO, Kolar 9. The petitioner had worked at Kolar up to 04.06.2025 i.e., almost 14 long years at one place. Now the petitioner has been transferred 40 kms away from his present place of posting. 10. We do not see that under these circumstances, the petitioner has any indefeasible right to continue to work at one place, for all the service period. He holds a transferable post. Transfer from one place to another is nothing but an incident of service and not against the relevant Service Rules of the Policy Guidelines. 11. The transfer and posting are administrative discretion of the competent authority and unless there is malafides - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:4525-DB WA No. 1774 of 2025 or violation of the relevant rules, should not be interfered by the Courts. 12. We do not see any reason to interfere with the well reasoned order passed by the learned Single Judge. The writ appeal is without merit, which is why the present appeal is dismissed. 13. In view of dismissal of the appeal, pending interim applications, do not survive for consideration and accordingly they stand rejected. (D K SINGH) JUDGE (TARA VITASTA GANJU) JUDGE NG List No.: 1 Sl No.: 4 Digitally signed by DINESH KUMAR SINGH Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNTAKA Digitally signed by TARA VITASTA GANJU Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNTAKA