Mrs Geetha Misra v. The Chief Secretary

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 3RD DAY OF JULY, 2026 PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH AND THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE T.M.NADAF WRIT PETITION NO. 18035 OF 2026 (GM-RES) BETWEEN:

¶1MRS GEETHA MISRA PANEL ADVOCATE, HIGH COURT LEGAL SERVICES COMMITTEE, D/O LATE SRI KAILASHNATH MISRA, AGED ABOUT 55 YEARS, R/A 135, 3RD BLOCK, RAJAJINAGAR, BANGALORE-560010. …PETITIONER (BY MRS. GEETHA MISRA, PARTY-IN-PERSON FOR PETITIONER)

AND:

¶1THE CHIEF SECRETARY STATE OF KARNATAKA, VIDHANA SOUDHA, PALACE ROAD, BANGALORE-560001.

¶2THE JOINT SECRETARY AND CHAIRMAN, AWBI, (ANIMAL WELFARE BOARD OF INDIA) MINISTRY OF FISHERIES ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.

¶3THE DISTRICT MAGISTRATE/DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, BENGALURU URBAN, BEHIND KANDAYA BHAVAN

¶4THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER,

Digitally signed by VASANTHA KUMARY B K Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

GREATER BANGALORE AUTHORITY, K R CIRCLE, BANGALORE-560001.

¶5THE COMMISSIONER, BANGALORE CENTRAL CITY CORPORATION, 10TH FLOOR, MULTIPURPOSE PU BUILDING, MG ROAD, BANGALORE-560001.

¶6THE CHAIRMAN, KARNATAKA STATE POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD, PARISARA BHAVAN, 49 CHURCH STREET, BANGALORE-560001.

¶7THE COMMISSIONER BANGALORE EAST CITY CORPORATION, RHB COLONY, OPPOSITE PHOENIX MALL, WHITEFIELD MAIN ROAD, MAHADEVAPURA POST, BANGALORE -560048.

¶8THE COMMISSIONER, BANGALORE WEST CITY CORPORATION, 18TH CROSS ROAD, IDEAL HOMES TOWNSHIP, RAJARAJESHWARI NAGAR, BANGALORE -560098.

¶9THE COMMISSIONER, BANGALORE NORTH CITY CORPORATION, BYATARAYANAPURA, AMRUTHHALLI MAIN ROAD, BELLARY ROAD, BANGALORE-560092.

¶10THE COMMISSIONER BANGALORE SOUTH CITY CORPORATION, 9TH MAIN ROAD, 9TH CROSS ROAD, 2ND STAGE JAYNAGAR, BANGALORE-560011 …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. S.H.PRASHANTH, ADVOCATE FOR R4, R5, R7, R8, R9,

R10, R6; SRI. SUDEV HEGDE, AGA FOR R1 TO R3)

THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA, PRAYING TO ISSUE WRIT OF MANDAMUS OR DIRECTIONS TO THE RESPONDENTS THAT SHELTERS FOR INSTITUTIONAL DOGS BE CONSTRUCTED IN THE CITY OF BANGALORE AND ALL OVER THE STATE OF KARNATAKA, IN APPROPRIATE PLACES AFTER TAKING PERMISSIONS FROM THE CONCERNED STATUTORY AUTHORITIES, CONSTRUCTING LEGAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROVISIONS OF WATER ACT, AIR ACT, ENVIRONMENT ACT, NOISE POLLUTION RULES AND FIRE SAFETY RULES, AND MODIFYING THE DESIGN OF THE COMMUNITY KENNEL/CAGE, IN COMPLIANCE WITH DIRECTIONS OF THE HON'BLE SUPREME COURT, IN PARA 102 IN SUO MOTO WP CIVIL 05/2025 AT ANNEXURE A ORDER DATED 19/05/2026, ETC.

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH and HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE T.M.NADAF

ORAL ORDER (PER: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH)

The present writ petition is filed by Ms. Geetha Misra, party-in-person (petitioner) alleging that the dogs shelters have been constructed in compliance with the directions issued by the Supreme Court in Suo Moto Writ Petition (Civil) No.5/2025. According to the petitioner, the construction undertaken by the

State and the Municipal Authorities is not as per the directions issued by the Supreme Court in the said order.

¶2The following directions have been issued by the Supreme Court: A. For the purpose of ongoing compliance and monitoring, all High Courts are directed to register a suo moto writ petition, in the name and style of: "In Re: Compliance with the directions issued by the Supreme Court in Suo Motu Writ Petition (Civil) No(s). 5 of 2025", as a continuing mandamus, for monitoring compliance with the directions issued by this Court vide orders dated 22nd August, 2025 and 7th November, 2025, in addition to the directions contained in the present order, and the same shall be placed before and, as far as practicable, taken up by a Division Bench of the concerned High Court.

B. The Registry of this Court is directed to forthwith transmit a copy of the present order, as well as the orders dated 11th August, 2025, 22nd August, 2025 and 7th November, 2025, to the Registrar Generals of all the jurisdictional High Courts, for the purpose of ensuring effective compliance, implementation and monitoring of the directions issued therein.

C. While ensuring full compliance with the directions issued by this Court, the concerned Bench of the High Court shall be at liberty to expand or tailor the scope of

such directions, as may be necessary to address local conditions and exigencies, without in any manner diluting the tenor and intent of the directions issued by this Court.

D. It is made clear that any continued failure or deliberate non-compliance with the directions issued by this Court, including the directions contained in the orders dated 22nd August, 2025, 7th November, 2025 and the present order, shall render the erring officials of the municipal department, administrative authorities and the officials of the concerned departments of the States and Union Territories liable to appropriate proceedings in accordance with law. The jurisdictional High Courts, while undertaking the monitoring exercise in terms of the present order, shall be fully empowered to take appropriate action, including initiation of contempt proceedings, against the erring officials responsible for non-compliance, inaction or wilful disregard of the directions issued by this Court.

E. The Chief Secretaries and the Secretaries of the relevant departments of all the States and Union Territories shall file their updated affidavits of compliance before the respective jurisdictional High Courts on or before 7th August, 2026. Likewise, the Union of India and the National Highways Authority of India shall also file their respective affidavits of compliance before the jurisdictional High Courts, in relation to areas falling within their respective domain, within the aforesaid

period, clearly indicating the measures undertaken in compliance with the directions issued by this Court.

F. The Registry of this Court is directed to forthwith transmit the records of all transferred cases/applications to the respective jurisdictional High Courts, and the matters so transmitted shall be appropriately tagged and heard along with the suo moto writ petition to be registered by the High Courts in terms of Direction (A) above.

G. The High Courts, through their respective Registrars General, shall compile and forward a consolidated report to this Court every four months, summarising the status of compliance by States and Union Territories, the progress achieved, best practices identified, and persistent gaps requiring policy or judicial intervention. The first such consolidated report shall be placed on record before this Court at least one week prior to the next date of hearing, i.e., 17th November, 2026.

¶112The Registry is directed to forthwith transmit a copy of this order to the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories, as well as to the Union of India through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Highways Authority of India, to ensure due compliance with the directions issued herein.

¶3The matter has been directed to be listed before the Supreme Court on 17.11.2026 for consideration of the consolidated compliance reports to be forwarded by the High Courts through their respective Registrars General and for further directions.

¶4As the matter is still sub judice before the Supreme Court and the compliance reports are to be forwarded by the respective High Courts, we cannot pass any order at this stage on the writ petition filed by Smt. Geetha Misra, party-in-person. The High Court is yet to registered suo moto writ petition in pursuance of the directions issued by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court itself is presently monitoring the compliance of the directions issued vide order dated 19.05.2026.

¶5Be that as it may, if the petitioner is aggrieved by the non compliance of the order passed by the Supreme Court by the State and Municipal Authorities, the petitioner may either intervene in the suo moto writ petition or approach the Supreme Court by filing an application as may be advised. However, we cannot pass any directions at this stage. We,

therefore, dispose of this writ petition with liberty as stated above.

Sd/- (D K SINGH) JUDGE

Sd/- (T.M.NADAF) JUDGE

RKA List No.: 1 Sl No.: 2