- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:11294-DB WA No. 1572 of 2025 C/W WA No. 1577 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 24TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026 PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA WRIT APPEAL NO. 1572 OF 2025 (CS-EL/M) C/W WRIT APPEAL NO. 1577 OF 2025 (CS-EL/M) IN W.A. No. 1572/2025 BETWEEN: 1. SRI N. NAGIREDDY S/O T. NAREPPA AGED ABOUT 60 YEARS DIRECTOR KALLAHALLI SFSCS CHINTAMANI TALUK CHIKKABALLAPURA - 563 125 …APPELLANT (BY SRI D.R. RAVISHANKAR, SENIOR ADVOCATE A/W SRI SARAVANA S., ADVOCATE) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA DEPARTMENT OF CO-OPERATION M.S BUILDING, DR. B.R.AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BENGALURU - 560 001 REPT. BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY 2. THE STATE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES 3RD FLOOR, T.T.M.C. A BLOCK SHANTHI NAGAR BANGALORE - 560 027 REPT. BY ITS SECRETARY Digitally signed by AMBIKA H B Location: High Court of Karnataka - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:11294-DB WA No. 1572 of 2025 C/W WA No. 1577 of 2025 3. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER/ ELECTION OFFICER KOLAR DISTRICT KOLAR - 563 101 4. RETURNING OFFICER KOLAR-CHIKKABALLAPURA DCC BANK LTD. DCC BANK ROAD KOLAR - 563 101 5. KOLAR-CHIKKABALLAPURA DCC BANK LTD. DCC BANK ROAD KOLAR - 563 101 REPT. BY ITS MANAGING DIRECTOR (REGD. UNDER THE KARNATAKA CO-OP SOCIETIES ACT, 1959) 6. PEDURU VYASAYA SEVA SAHAKARA SANGHA NIYAMITHA CHINTAMANI TALUK CHIKKABALLAPURA - 563 146 REPT. BY ITS PRESIDENT/DELEGATE SRI LAKSHMAN REDDY.N S/O. CHIKKANARAYANAPPA AGED ABOUT 58 YEARS (REGD. UNDER THE KARNATAKA CO-OP SOCIETIES ACT, 1959) …RESPONDENTS (SMT. NAMITHA MAHESH B.G., AGA FOR R-1 & 3, SRI R. SRINIVASA GOWDA, ADVOCATE FOR R-5 & SRI JAYAKUMAR S. PATIL, SENIOR ADVOCATE A/W SRI DEVIPRASAD SHETTY, ADVOCATE FOR C/R-6) THIS WRIT APPEAL IS FILED UNDER SECTION 4 OF THE KARNATAKA HIGH COURT ACT PRAYING TO SET ASIDE THE ORDER PASSED BY THE LEARNED SINGLE JUDGE IN W.P. NO.14457/2025 DATED 08/09/2025 AND CONSEQUENTLY DISMISS THE PETITION FILED BY THE RESPONDENT NO.6 IN W.P. NO.14457/2025 HOLDING THAT THE 6TH RESPONDENT SOCIETY WAS NOT ELIGIBLE TO NOMINATE A DELEGATE OR PARTICIPATE - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:11294-DB WA No. 1572 of 2025 C/W WA No. 1577 of 2025 IN THE ELECTIONS TO THE 5TH RESPONDENT FEDERAL SOCIETY DURING THE SUBSISTENCE OF THE ORDER DATED 31/01/2025, PASSED BY THE ASSISTANT REGISTRAR OF CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES & ETC. IN W.A. NO. 1577/2025 BETWEEN: 1. SRI N NAGIREDDY S/O.T.NAREPPA AGED ABOUT 60 YEARS DIRECTOR KALLAHALLI SFSCS CHINTAMANI TALUK CHIKKABALLAPURA - 563 125 ...APPELLANT (BY SRI D.R. RAVISHANKAR, SENIOR ADVOCATE A/W SRI SARAVANA S., ADVOCATE) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA DEPARTMENT OF CO-OPERATION M.S. BUILDING DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BENGALURU - 560 001 REPT. BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY 2. THE STATE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES 3RD FLOOR, T.T.M.C. A BLOCK SHANTHI NAGAR BANGALORE - 560 027 REPT. BY ITS SECRETARY 3. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER/ ELECTION OFFICER KOLAR DISTRICT KOLAR - 563 101 4. RETURNING OFFICER KOLAR-CHIKKABALLAPURA - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:11294-DB WA No. 1572 of 2025 C/W WA No. 1577 of 2025 DCC BANK LTD. DCC BANK ROAD KOLAR - 563 101 5. KOLAR-CHIKKABALLAPURA DCC BANK LTD. DCC BANK ROAD KOLAR - 563 101 REPT. BY ITS MANAGING DIRECTOR (REGD. UNDER KARNATAKA CO-OP SOCIETIES ACT, 1959) 6. BATLAHALLI VYASAYA SEVA SAHAKARA SANGHA NIYAMITHA CHINTAMANI TALUK CHIKKABALLAPURA - 563 146 REPT. BY ITS PRESIDENT/DELEGATE VENKATASHIVAREDDY M.P. S/O. M.M. PAPANNA AGED ABOUT 62 YEARS (REGD. UNDER KARNATAKA CO-OP SOCIETIES ACT, 1959) ...RESPONDENTS (SMT. NAMITHA MAHESH B.G., AGA FOR R-1 & 3, SRI R. SRINIVASA GOWDA, ADVOCATE FOR R-5 & SRI JAYAKUMAR S. PATIL, SENIOR ADVOCATE A/W SRI DEVIPRASAD SHETTY, ADVOCATE FOR C/R-6) THIS WRIT APPEAL IS FILED UNDER SECTION 4 OF THE KARNATAKA HIGH COURT ACT PRAYING TO SET ASIDE THE ORDER PASSED BY THE LEARNED SINGLE JUDGE IN W.P. NO.14472/2025 DATED 08.09.2025 AND CONSEQUENTLY DISMISS THE PETITION FILED BY THE RESPONDENT NO.6 IN W.P. NO.14472/2025 HOLDING THAT THE 6TH RESPONDENT SOCIETY WAS NOT ELIGIBLE TO NOMINATE A DELEGATE OR PARTICIPATE IN THE ELECTIONS TO THE 5TH RESPONDENT FEDERAL SOCIETY DURING THE SUBSISTENCE OF THE ORDER DATED 31/01/2025, PASSED BY THE ASSISTANT REGISTRAR OF CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES & ETC. - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:11294-DB WA No. 1572 of 2025 C/W WA No. 1577 of 2025 THESE APPEALS, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, THIS DAY, JUDGMENT WAS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE and HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA ORAL JUDGMENT (PER: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE) 1. The appellant has filed the present appeals impugning a common order dated 08.09.2025 passed by the learned Single Judge of this Court in Writ Petition Nos.14457/2025 and 14472/2025 (CS-EL/M). 2. By way of interim orders, the societies in question (respondent No.6 in the present appeals) were permitted to cast their votes in the elections held on 28.05.2025. The learned Single Judge had allowed the writ petitions to the limited extent of directing the respondents to count the votes which were kept in a separate ballot box and to announce the results within ten days of the receipt of the order, subject to there being no order interdicting the same. The learned Single Judge had also reserved liberty for - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:11294-DB WA No. 1572 of 2025 C/W WA No. 1577 of 2025 the parties to approach under Section 70 of the Karnataka Co- operative Societies Act, 1959 [the Act]. 3. The learned Senior Counsel appearing for the appellant submits said that there is no difficulty in availing of the remedy under Section 70 of the Act. However, the observations made by the learned Single Judge may foreclose the examination on certain issues. He submits that if the parties were to be relegated for availing the alternate remedy, no findings ought to have been returned on merits. 4. The said contention appears to be prima facie merited. 5. In view of the above, we clarify that any findings returned by the learned Single Judge in the impugned order would not influence the concerned authorities in examining any dispute that may be raised under Section 70 of the Act. 6. The learned counsel appearing for the respondents have no objection to this court passing the aforesaid directions. 7. It is clarified that all rights and contentions of the parties. - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:11294-DB WA No. 1572 of 2025 C/W WA No. 1577 of 2025 8. The pending interlocutory applications also stand disposed of. Sd/- (VIBHU BAKHRU) CHIEF JUSTICE Sd/- (C.M. POONACHA) JUDGE AHB List No.: 1 Sl No.: 5