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High Court of Karnataka · body
2026 DAILYLAW 54689 (KAR)
THE BRANCH MANAGER v. SOPANNA AND ORS
MFA/202291/2018 · 2026-01-22
R Nataraj, Tyagaraja N Inavally
body2026
[ 2026 DAILYLAW 54689 (KAR) · dailylaw.ai ]
[ 2026 DAILYLAW 54689 (KAR) · dailylaw.ai ]
Judgment text
Extracted from the PDF above. The PDF is authoritative.
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Digitally signed by SUMITRA SHERIGAR Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA
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#(234 &1 ###"$ #.256 78964:;<=683>?565234@928A23<>56>B6@<8C69;@=29963D83D <=6 E?23<?A 17 @1AB63>2<813 234 982:898<; <1 B2; <=6 @1AB63>2<813 2F25464 :; <=6 63815 8C89 ,?4D6 234 448<81329 =2=2B?5 715 >=15< G58:?329H 83
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@928AB6<8<813F2>78964?34656@<81317 <=6 1<15 6=8@96> @< .(( @928A83D @1AB63>2<813 17 >#####% :; <=6 96D29 56B56>63<2<8C6> 17 <=6 46@62>64 2=246C8F=148648325124<52778@2@@8463<13
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## #$F=896 <52C6983D 83 2 82DD81 B62?<1 :62583D 56D8><52<8131)%""%#(#
" =6@928AB6<8<813F2>@13<6><64:;<=683>?565 F=1 463864 <=6 2@@8463< 234 8<> 982:898<; <1 B2;
@1AB63>2<813 2>64 13 <=6 2:1C6 <=6 58:?329 =694 B51@66483D> 234 56@15464 <=6 6C8463@6 17 @928A23< 1 2>!234A25J6441@?A63<>K><1.=683>?565 F2>6K2A83642>!234<=641@?A63<>2<K><1$ F656A25J64
2>64 13 <=6 1529 234 41@?A63<25; 6C8463@6 <=6 58:?329 =694 <=2< <=6 2@@8463< F2> 4?6 <1 <=6 52>= 23436D98D63<458C83D:;<=6458C6517<=62?<1<7?5<=65 =694 <=2< <=6 46@62>64 2=246C8 F2> 2 @11986 234 <=6567156 2BB9864 31<81329 83@1A6 234 46<65A8364 <=6 @1AB63>2<8132>71991F> 91 624> A1?3<
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$ =6 58:?329 4856@<64 <=6 83>?565 <1 B2; <=6 @1AB63>2<8132913DF8<=83<656><683D2DD586C64:;<=6 E?23<?A17@1AB63>2<8132F25464:1<=<=6@928A23<>2> F699 2> <=6 83>?565 256 83 <=685 56>B6@<8C6 2BB629> =6 83>?565 29>1 @=29963D64 8<> 982:898<; <1 B2; <=6 @1AB63>2<813 13 <=6 D51?34 <=2< <=656 F2> C8192<813 17 <=6@1348<813>17<=6B198@;
=6 9625364 @1?3>69 715 <=6 @928A23<> @13<63464 <=2< <=6 58:?329 2F25464 2 >?A 17 >#####%<1F254>G91>>1746B63463@;H13<=6D51?34 <=2<<=646@62>64F2>2A83152347?5<=65>?:A8<<64<=2< <=658:?329728964<12F254246E?2<6@1AB63>2<813?3465 <=61<=65@13C63<81329=624>
9625364 @1?3>69 715 <=6 83>?565 @13<63464<=2<<=6@1AB63>2<8132F25464:;<=658:?329 8> 6K@6>>8C6 234 463864 8<> 982:898<; <1 B2; <=6 @1AB63>2<813 715 <=6 562>13 <=2< <=656 8> C8192<813 17 <65A>234@1348<813>17<=683>?523@6B198@;
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( 3 B65?>29 17 <=6 8AB?D364 I?4DA63< 234 2F254 B2>>64 :; <=6 58:?329 8< 2BB625> <=2< <=6 46@62>64F2>2D64;625>234=24>?><2836483I?586>83 <=62@@8463<234>?@@?A:64<1<=6>2A613<=6>B1<=6 58:?329=2>2F254642D91:29@1AB63>2<813<1F254>91>> 1783@1A6?3A8347?917<=672@<<=2<<=646@62>64F2>2 @2B2:96B65>13F=1@1?94>?BB15<<=672A89;=8> 1?5< @2331< :6 8D31523< 17 <=6 72@< <=2< <=6 46@62>64 =28964 751A 23 2D58@?9<?529 72A89; 56>8483D 83 2 5?529 2562 234 <=6567156<=6B1>>8:898<;17>=6@13<58:?<83D<1<=672A89;
8> 31< 56A1<6 13>6E?63<9; 8< 8> 2BB51B582<6 <1 2>>6>> <=6 91>> 17 83@1A6 :; 2BB9;83D 2 31<81329 83@1A6 17 >(###% B65 A13<= 234 #/ 17 8< 2> 91>> 17 7?<?56 B51>B6@<> =?> <=6 <1<29 A13<=9; 83@1A6 17 <=6 46@62>64 @1A6> <1 ." ( =6 46@62>64 :683D ?3A255864$#/17<=683@1A6>=299:6464?@<64<1F254> =65B65>13296KB63>6>63@6<=6A13<=9;83@1A617<=6 46@62>64 715 @29@?92<83D <=6 @1AB63>2<813 B2;2:96 ?3465 <=6=624G91>>1746B63463@;H>=299:6>$##%7<=6
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2:1C68><2J6383<12@@1?3<<=6@1AB63>2<8132F25464:; <=658:?3298>83246E?2<6234<=656715646>65C6><1:6 63=23@64 13>846583D <=6 2D6 17 <=6 46@62>64 2> B65 B583@8B96 17 92F 9284 41F3 83 <=6 @2>6 17 2>6<=6A?9<8B98652BB98@2:96<1<=6@2>613=2348>G(H =?> <=6 @928A23<> 256 63<8<964 <1 @1AB63>2<813 17 .
""( >$##% K K ( ?3465 <=6 =624 G91>>1746B63463@;H
. 1561C652>B65<=6@2>617<=6 @928A23<1>234 :683D<=6B2563<>234<=6@928A23<> 1" <1 $ :683D >8:983D> 256 63<8<964 <1 @1AB63>2<813 17 >####% 62@= <1F254> 789829 @13>15<8?A 234 <=6567156 <=6 @928A23<> 256 63<8<964 <1 <1<29 @1AB63>2<813 17 > #####% ?3465 <=6 =624 G91>> 17 @13>15<8?AH =6 @1AB63>2<813 D523<64 ?3465 1<=65 =624> 8> I?>< 234 562>132:96 234 =63@6 8< 416> 31< 56E?856 23; A14878@2<813 # @@15483D9;<=6@1AB63>2<8138>56%46<65A8364 2>71991F>
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< 8> 24A8<<64 72@< <=2< <=6 2BB69923< 83 & 1 # . #( 8> <=6 83>?565 17 <=6 17763483D C6=8@96 234 3>?523@6 198@; F2> C2984 2> 13 <=6 42<6 17 <=6 2@@8463< 1F6C65 8< 8> @928A64 <=2< <=6 B198@; @1C6564 139;"B2>>63D65>:?<<=656F656$B2>>63D65><52C6983D 83 <=6 17763483D C6=8@96 2< <=6 <8A6 17 2@@8463< 234 <=6567156<=656F2>C8192<81317@1348<813>17<=6B198@;17 83>?523@6 234 =63@6 8< F2> 31< 982:96 <1 B2; 23; @1AB63>2<813
1F6C658<8>F699>6<<964B583@8B961792F<=2<87 <=6 @928A23<> 256 <=854 B25<86> <1 <=6 83>?523@6 B198@;
6C63 87 <=656 8> C8192<813 17 23; @1348<813> 17 B198@; <=6 83>?565 8> 982:96 <1 B2; @1AB63>2<813 F8<= 98:65<; <1
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56@1C65 <=6 >2A6 751A <=6 83>?5641F365 17 <=6 C6=8@96 =6567156<=683>?565=2>728964<1A2J61?<23;D51?34 <1 >6< 2>846 <=6 8AB?D364 I?4DA63< 234 2F254 17 <=6 58:?329838<>63<856<;2>>1?D=<71583<=6852BB629
" 3<=656>?9<F625617<=6@13>846564C86F<=2< <=62BB629>78964:;<=6@928A23<>23483>?56546>65C6<1 :62991F6483B25<234<=6567156F6B51@664<1B2>><=6 71991F83D
8 1<= <=6 2BB629> 256 ! 88 =6 8AB?D364 I?4DA63< 234 2F254 42<64 "# #( B2>>64 :; <=6 63815 8C89 ,?4D6 234 448<81329
2< =2=2B?5 83
1"" #$8>A1487864 888 =6 @1AB63>2<813 2F25464 :; <=6 58:?329 8> 63=23@64 751A
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"( 8C =6 >284 2A1?3< 8> B2;2:96 :; <=6 83>?565 2913D F8<= 83<656>< 2< <=6 52<617/B65233?A751A<=642<6 17 @928A B6<8<813 <899 <=6 42<6 17 46B1>8< C =683>?5658>4856@<64<146B1>8<<=6 63=23@64 @1AB63>2<813 :67156 <=6 58:?329 F8<=83 2 B65814 17 "# 42;> 751A<=642<61756@68B<172@1B;17 <=8> I?4DA63< 728983D F=8@= <=6 83>?565>=299B2;83<656><2<<=652<6 17 ./ B65 233?A 234 56@1C65 <=6 6K@6>> 83<656>< 751A <=6 B65>13 56>B13>8:96 715 <=6 4692; 83 46B1>8<83D<=62A1?3<
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C8 =683>?5658>63<8<964<156@1C65<=6 @1AB63>2<813 2A1?3< 751A <=6 83>?5641F365 17 <=6 C6=8@96 83 <=6 >2A6B51@66483D> C88 =656>=29931154652><1@1><> C888 32F254>=299:6452F32@@15483D9;
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