The Principal Secretary to Govt v. Majanabi W/O Badasha Inamdar

, ( ( (IN(THE(HIGH(COURT(OF(KARNATAKA((

KALABURAGI(BENCH(

THDATED(THIS(THE(17 (DAY(OF(NOVEMBER,(2025(

PRESENT(

THE(HON'BLE(MR.(JUSTICE(H.T.NARENDRA(PRASAD(

(AND((

(THE(HON'BLE(MR.(JUSTICE(TYAGARAJA(N.(INAVALLY(

WRIT(PETITION(NO.201081(OF(2022((S-KAT)(

C/W(

WRIT(PETITION(NO.200554(OF(2023(

( IN(W.P.NO.201081/2022( BETWEEN:(( (

1., THE,PRINCIPAL,SECRETARY,TO,GOVERNMENT,, DEPARTMENT,OF,EDUCATION,, M.S.BUILDING,,DR.AMBEDKAR,VEEDHI,, BENGALURU,–,560,001., , Digitallytisignedtiby 2., THE,ADDITIONAL,COMMISSIONER,, BASALINGAPPA SHIVARAJ DEPARTMENT,OF,PUBLIC,INSTRUCTIONS,,, DHUTTARGAON Location:0HIGH DHARWAD,–,580,001.,COURT0OF KARNATAKA ,

3., THE,DEPUTY,DIRECTOR,OF,, PUBLIC,INSTRUCTIONS,(ADMN.),, VIJAYAPURA., ,

4., THE,BLOCK,EDUCATION,OFFICER,, VIJAYAPURA., , …PETITIONERS, , (BY,SRI,VIRANAGOUDA,M.BIRADAR,,A.G.A.), , , ( ( AND:( (

1., SMT.,MAJANABI, W/O,BADASHA,INAMDAR,, AGE,ABOUT,50,YEARS,,, OCC:,SECOND,DIVISION,ASSISTANT,, OFFICE,OF,THE,CLUSTER-ASSISTANT,, EDUCATIONAL,OFFICER,, NEAR,REMAND,HOME,,VIJAYAPURA., ,

2., THE,REGISTRAR,, KARNATAKA,LOKAYUKTA,, BENGALURU,–,560,001., …RESPONDENTS, , (BY,SRI,S.S.MAMADAPUR,,ADVOCATE,FOR,C/R1;, ,,SRI,SUBHASH,MALLAPUR,,ADVOCATE,FOR,R2), , , THIS, WRIT, PETITION, IS, FILED, UNDER, ARTICLES, 226, AND, 227, OF, THE, CONSTITUTION, OF, INDIA,, PRAYING, TO, ISSUE,WRIT,OF,CERTIORARI,TO,QUASH,THE,ORDER,PASSED, BY, THE, KARNATAKA, STATE, ADMINISTRATIVE, TRIBUNAL, AT, KALABURAGI,, IN, APPLICATION, NO.6448/2017,, DATED,

09.04.2021,,ANNEXURE-B,TO,THE,PETITION,AND,DISMISS,THE, APPLICATION,NO.6448/2017,AND,ETC., , IN(W.P.NO.200554/2023( BETWEEN:(( ( THE,REGISTRAR,, KARNATAKA,LOKAYUKTA,, BENGALURU,–,560,001., …PETITIONER, , (BY,SRI,SUBHASH,MALLAPUR,,ADVOCATE), , , ( ( AND:( (

1., SMT.,MAJANABI, W/O,BADASHA,INAMDAR,, AGE,ABOUT,50,YEARS,,, OCC:,SECOND,DIVISION,ASSISTANT,, OFFICE,OF,THE,CLUSTER-ASSISTANT, EDUCATIONAL,OFFICER,, NEAR,REMAND,HOME,,VIJAYAPURA,–,586,101., ,

2., THE,STATE,OF,KARNATAKA,, REP.,BY,PRINCIPAL,SECRETARY,, EDUCATION,DEPARTMENT,, M.S.BUIDLING,,BENGALURU,–,560,001., ,

3., THE,ADDITIONAL,COMMISSIONER,, DEPARTMENT,OF,PUBLIC,INSTRUCTIONS,,, DHARWAD,–,580,001., ,

4., THE,DEPUTY,DIRECTOR,OF,PUBLIC, INSTRUCTIONS,(ADMN),, VIJAYAPURA-,586,101., ,

5., THE,BLOCK,EDUCATION,OFFICER,, VIJAYAPURA,–,586,101., …RESPONDENTS, , (BY,SRI,VIRANAGOUDA,M.BIRADAR,,A.G.A.,FOR,R2,TO,R5;, ,,,,,,SRI,S.S.MAMADAPUR,,ADVOCATE,FOR,R1), , , THIS, WRIT, PETITION, IS, FILED, UNDER, ARTICLES, 226, AND, 227, OF, THE, CONSTITUTION, OF, INDIA,, PRAYING, TO, ISSUE,A,WRIT,OF,CERTIORARI,AND,QUASH,THE,ORDER,DATED,

09.04.2021, PASSED, BY, THE, KARNATAKA, STATE, ADMINISTRATIVE, TRIBUNAL, KALABURAGI, IN, APPLICATION, NO.6448/2017,VIDE,ANNEXURE-B,AND,ETC.,, , , THESE,WRIT,PETITIONS,,COMING,ON,FOR,PRELIMINARY, HEARING, IN, 'B', GROUP,, THIS, DAY,, ORDER, WAS, MADE, THEREIN,AS,UNDER:, , , ( ( CORAM:, HON'BLE,MR.,JUSTICE,H.T.NARENDRA,PRASAD, ,AND,, ,HON'BLE,MR.,JUSTICE,TYAGARAJA,N.,INAVALLY, ( ORAL(ORDER( (PER:,HON'BLE,MR.,JUSTICE,H.T.NARENDRA,PRASAD)( , These, two, Writ, Petitions, are, filed, challenging, the, order, dated, 09.04.2021, passed, by, the, Karnataka, State, Administrative, Tribunal,, Kalaburagi, (for, short,, 'the, Tribunal'), in, Application, No.6448/2017,, whereby, the, Tribunal, has, allowed, the, application, filed, by, the, applicant/respondent,No.1,herein.,,Being,aggrieved,by,the, said, order,, the, State, has, filed, W.P.No.201081/2022, whereas,the,Lokayukta,has,filed,W.P.No.200554/2023.,

¶2For, the, sake, of, convenience,, the, parties, are, referred,to,as,per,their,ranking,before,the,Tribunal.,

¶3The, case, of, the, applicant, is, that, she, was, appointed, as, an, Second, Division, Assistant, (SDA), on, compassionate, ground., On, 05.12.2008,, while, she, was, working, in, the, office, of, the, Cluster, Assistant, Education, , ( ( Officer,,Vijayapur,,the,Lokayukta,Police,has,implicated,her, in,an,alleged,trap,,though,she,did,not,demand,and,accept, the, alleged, bribe, amount, from, the, complainant, i.e,, Sri, Mahadevappa,Biradar.,The,further,case,of,the,applicant,is, that, the, complaint, is, given, against, another, officer, Smt.Arundhati, as, she, had, demanded, an, amount, of, Rs.200/-,for,issue,of,transfer,certificate,and,the,applicant, has, not, demanded, any, money, from, the, complainant., When, the, said, transfer, certificate, was, ready, for, issuing,, the,complainant,tried,to,give,money,to,the,applicant,but, the, applicant, refused, to, take, and, when, the, complainant, was,ready,to,give,the,same,in,her,hand,,she,took,back,her, hand,and,forcibly,,the,complainant,thrusted,the,same.,At, that,time,,Lokayukta,Police,came,to,the,spot.,Thereafter,, by, making, allegation, that, applicant, herein, has, received, the, money,, the, Lokayukta, police, have, falsely, implicated, her., Thereafter,a, charge, sheet,was,filed,in, Special, Case,

(Lok), No.2/2010, before, the, Special, Judge,, Principal, Sessions, Judge,, at, Vijayapura., In, the, criminal, case,, the, , ( ( applicant, was, honourably, acquitted, from, the, charges., Even,though,applicant,has,been,acquitted,in,the,criminal, case,,the,departmental,enquiry,has,been,initiated,against, the, applicant., The, enquiry, has, been, entrusted, to, the, Lokayukta,under,Rule,14A,of,the,Karnataka,Civil,Services, (CC,and,A),Rules,1957,(for,short,,'the,Rules').,Lokayukta, after, conducting, the, enquiry, submitted, a, report, stating, that,charges,have,been,proved,and,recommended,her,for, compulsory, retirement., On, the, basis, of, the, recommendation, of, Lokayukta,, the, disciplinary, authority, has, passed, the, impugned, order, dated, 07.10.2017, imposing, penalty, of, compulsory, retirement., Being, aggrieved,by,the,same,,the,applicant,has,approached,the, Tribunal., The, Tribunal, by, order, dated, 09.04.2021, has, allowed,the,application. Being,aggrieved,by,the,finding,in, the,order,that,the,Lokayukta,has,no,power,to,recommend, the,imposition,of,a,particular,penalty,,the,Lokayukta,has, filed, this, writ, petition., The, State, has, also, filed, a, writ, , ( ( petition, challenging, quashment, of, the, entire, order, of, punishment,been,quashed.,

¶4Learned, counsel, appearing, for, the, Lokayukta, has, contended, that, on, the, recommendation, of, the, Lokayukta,as,per,Section,12(3),of,the,Lokayukta,Act,,the, departmental, enquiry, has, been, initiated, against, the, applicant., The, disciplinary, authority, by, exercising, the, power, under, Rule, 14A, of, the, Rules, has, entrusted, the, matter,to,Lokayukta,to,conduct,an,enquiry,under,Section, 12,of,the,Lokayukta,Act.,On,the,basis,of,enquiry,report,, Lokayukta,has,power,to,recommend,the,Government,for, imposing,the,penalty.,It,is,for,the,disciplinary,authority,to, pass, an, order, after, verifying, the, records., The, finding, of, the,Tribunal,that,Lokayukta,has,no,power,to,recommend, any,penalty,is,contrary,to,Section,12,of,the,Lokayukta,Act.,,

¶5Learned, Additional, Government, Advocate, appearing,for,the,State,has,contended,that,Lokayukta,has, conducted,a,raid.,,The,applicant,was,red,handedly,caught, demanding,Rs.200/-,from,the,complainant,for,issuing,the, , ( ( transfer, certificate., The, Lokayukta, has, conducted, an, enquiry, and, submitted, a, report, that, charges, levelled, against,the,applicant,has,been,proved.,Since,charges,are, serious, in, nature,, the, disciplinary, authority,, after, giving, show,cause,notice,to,the,applicant,and,after,considering, the, reply, submitted, by, the, applicant,, has, imposed, the, penalty,of,compulsory,retirement.,Without,considering,this, aspect,of,the,matter,,the,Tribunal,has,erred,in,allowing,the, application, by, setting, aside, the, punishment, imposed, by, the,respondent-State.,,

¶6Learned, counsel, appearing, for, the, applicant, submitted,that,the,complainant,Sri,Mahadevappa,Biradar, in,the,complaint,specifically,stated,that,he,has,not,given, any, complaint, on, the, applicant, that, she, has, demanded, any, money, for, issuing, the, transfer, certificate., His, complaint,is,only,against,another,officer,Smt.,Arundhati., On,the,basis,of,the,complaint,lodged,by,Sri,Mahadevappa, Biradar,, a, criminal, case, has, been, filed, against, the, applicant, in, Special, Case, (Lok), No.2/2010., , The, Special, , ( ( Court, after, examining, the, witnesses, has, honorably, acquitted,the,applicant,on,the,ground,that,the,prosecution, has, failed, to, prove, that, applicant, has, demanded, any, money., On, the, same, set, of, charges,, now, departmental, enquiry,has,been,initiated,and,penalty,has,been,imposed., Once, the, applicant, has, been, honorably, acquitted,, the, departmental,enquiry,has,to,be,quashed.,,

¶7In,support,of,his,contention,he,has,relied,on,the, judgment,of,the,Apex,Court,in,case,of,Ram(Lal(Vs.(State( of(Rajasthan(and(Others([(2024)1(SCC(175].,,

¶8Secondly,, pursuant, to, the, second, show, cause, notice,,the,applicant,has,given,a,detailed,reply,stating,that, she,has,not,demanded,any,money,for,issuing,the,transfer, certificate;,even,no,complaint,has,been,lodged,against,her, and,she,has,been,acquitted,in,the,criminal,case.,Without, considering, the, reply, submitted, by, the, applicant, and, without,application,of,mind,,the,disciplinary,authority,has, imposed,penalty,of,compulsory,retirement.,Considering,all, these, aspects,, the, Tribunal, has, rightly, allowed, the, , ( ( application., Hence,, he, sought, for, dismissal, of, the, writ, petitions.,

¶9Heard, the, learned, counsel, for, the, parties, and, perused,the,writ,papers,along,with,annexures.,

¶10It, is, not, in, dispute, that, the, applicant, was, appointed, as, SDA, on, compassionate, ground., On,

05.12.2008,,while,she,was,working,in,the,office,of,Cluster, Assistant,Education,Officer,at,Vijayapur,,on,allegation,that, she, has, demanded, amount, of, Rs.200/-, for, issuing, a, transfer, certificate,, departmental, enquiry, has, been, initiated.,Lokayukta,has,also,initiated,criminal,case,against, the, applicant, and, filed, a, charge, sheet, in, Special, Case,,

(Lok), No.2/2010., The, charges, in, the, criminal, case, has, been,extracted,below:,

¶1Whether, the, prosecution, has, proved, beyond, reasonable,doubt, that,, prior, to,5.12.2008, the, accused,while,working,as,SDA,in,Government, High,School,,Remand,Home,,Bijapur,demanded, `200/-0fromtitheticomplaintstiandtion05.12.20080atti aboutti 1.450 P.M.0 demandedti andti acceptedti theti saidti bribeti amountti ofti `200/-,0 asti gratificationti othertithantilegaltiremunerationtiastiatimotivetiforti , ( ( thissuingti theti 7 0 standardti passedti Transferti Certificateti ofti theti complainantti andti therebyti committedti anti offenceti punishableti u/s.70 r/w.0 sec.13(2)0oftithe0Act?0

¶2Whetherti theti prosecutionti hasti provedti beyondti reasonabletidoubttithat,0thetiaccusedtiduringtitheti aboveti saidti period,0 beingti ati publicti servantti committedticriminaltimisconducttibytiabusingtiherti positionti asti Secondti Divisionti Assistant,0 inti Governmentti Highti School,0 Remandti Home,0 Bijapurti andti obtainedti pecuniaryti advantageti ofti th`200/-0fromtitheticomplainanttifortiissuingtihis07 0 standardti passedti Transferti Certificateti andti therebyti committedti anti offenceti punishableti u/s.0 13(1)0(d)0r/w.0sec.13(2)0oftithetiact?, ,

¶11The, charges, framed, in, the, departmental, enquiry,are,extracted,below:, "CHARGE(:( , , That,you,,Smt.,Majanabi,W/o,Badashaha, Inamdara, (here, in, after, referred, to, as, Delinquent, Government, Official,, in, short, DGO),, while, working, as, the, Second, Division, Asst.,, O/o, the, Cluster, Assistant, Educational, Officer,,Bijapur,(Government,Composite,High, School,, Near, Remand, Home,, Bijapur), demanded,and,accepted,a,bribe,of,`200/-0onti 05/12/20080 fromti complainantti Sri.0 Mahadevappati Revuthappati Biradar,0 Hamal'sti Colony,0 Bijapurti forti gettingti issuedti Schoolti Transfer0Certificatetioftitheticomplainanttithattiisti fortidoingtiantiofficialtiact,0andtitherebytiyoutifailedti , ( ( totimaintaintiabsolutetiintegritytiandtidevotiontitoti dutyti andti committedti anti actti whichti isti unbecomingti ofti ati Governmentti Servantti andti thustiyoutiaretiguiltytioftimisconducttiunder0Ruleti 3(1)(i)0toti(iii)0of0KCS0(Conduct)Rules01966.", ,

¶12In,criminal,case,as,well,as,in,the,departmental, enquiry, charges, are, identical., The, specific, case, of, the, applicant, is, that, there, is, no, complaint, lodged, by, the, complainant, Sri.Mahadevappa, Biradar, against, the, applicant.,The,complaint,has,been,lodged,against,another, officer, Smt.Arundhati, D.,, Assistant, Education, Officer., In, the, criminal, case,, the, prosecution, has, examined, six, witnesses,, namely:, 1), Mahadev, Ravutappa, Biradar;, 2), Mahiboobsab, Saheblal, Sarwada;, 3), Arundati, D.;, 4), Shrikant, Mahalingappa, Wali;, 5), Chainnayya, Virantayya, Hiremath;,6),B.Balaraju,PI.,,In,departmental,enquiry,,the, Lokayukta, has, examined, three, witnesses, i.e.,, Sri.Mahadevappa, Ravuthappa, Biradar;, 2), Sri.Mehaboobsab,Saheblal,Sarwada;,3),B.Balaraju,,Police, Inspector,, Karnataka, Lokayukta., The, three, witnesses, examined, in, the, , departmental, enquiry, are, the, same, , ( ( witnesses,which,have,been,examined,in,the,criminal,case., After, considering, the, evidence, of, the, parties, in, criminal, case,,the,applicant,has,been,acquitted,honorably.,,

¶13The,Hon'ble,Apex,Court,in,the,case,of,Ram(Lal, (supra), in, paragraphs-29, and, 30, held, that, where, the, charges, in, the, departmental, enquiry, and, criminal, courts, are, identical,, evidence,, witnesses, and, circumstances, are, also,same,,and,where,Court,in,exercise,of,judicial,review, finds,that,acquittal, in,criminal,proceedings,was,after,full, consideration, of, prosecution, evidence, and, prosecution, miserably, failed, to, prove, the, charge,, the, Court, can, interfere,with,order,passed,by,disciplinary,authority,where, findings, of, disciplinary, authority, are, found, to, be, unjust,, unfair, and, oppressive., In, the, case, in, hand,, the, charges, are,identical,,the,witnesses,examined,in,both,criminal,case, as, well, as, in, departmental, enquiry, are, the, same,, the, complainant,has,specifically,stated,that,he,has,not,lodged, any,complaint,against,the,applicant,regarding,demand,of, any,money.,, , ( (

¶14We, are, of, the, view, that, the, Tribunal, after, considering, all, these, aspects, has, rightly, allowed, the, application., However,, the, apprehension, of, Lokayukta, regarding,the, finding, of, the, Tribunal, that, Lokayukta, has, no, power, to, recommend, for, imposing, the, penalty, is, concerned,,under,Section,12,of,the,Lokayukta,Act,,along, with,the,enquiry,report,,the,Lokayukta,can,recommend,for, imposing, certain, penalty, and, that, is, not, binding, on, the, disciplinary, authority., The, disciplinary, authority, has, to, consider, the, enquiry, report, and, reply, submitted, by, the, delinquent,and,thereafter,,to,consider,whether,to,impose, the,penalty,or,not.,Therefore,,we,find,no,error,or,illegality, in,the,order,passed,by,the,Tribunal.,,

¶15In,view,of,the,above,observations,,we,pass,the, following:, ORDER, i., The,Writ,Petitions,are,dismissed., , ( ( ii., The, petitioners, are, directed, to, reinstate, respondent, No.1, into, the, service, within, three, months, from, the, date, of, receipt, of, copy,of,this,order., , , Sd/-( ((H.T.NARENDRA(PRASAD)( JUDGE( ( ( Sd/-( (TYAGARAJA(N.(INAVALLY)( JUDGE( ( , VNR, List,No.:,1,Sl,No.:,63,