M/S Pioneer Publicity Corporation Pvt Ltd., v. The Chief Commissioner

((((((((((((HC-KAR, NC:(2026:KHC:36487( WP(No.(20440(of(2026( ( ,,,,,,,,,, , CNR:(KAHC010451482026( ( ( INATHEAHIGHACOURTAOFAKARNATAKAAATABENGALURUA

TH DATEDATHISATHEA16 ADAYAOFAJULY,A2026A

BEFOREA

THEAHON'BLEAMR.AJUSTICEABAMASHYAMAPRASADA

WRITAPETITIONANO.A20440AOFA2026A(LB-BMP)A BETWEEN:AA A -M/S-PIONEER-PUBLICITY-CORPORATION-PVT-LTD.,-

A-PRIVATE-LIMITED-COMPANY-HAVING-ITS-REGISTERED-OFFICE-AT--THNO.513,-5 -FLOOR,-'B'-WIND,--

MITTAL-TOWER,-M.G.-ROAD,--

BENGALURU-560-001--A-COMPANY-INCORPORATED-UNDER-THE-COMPANIES-ACT-1956--REPRESENTED-BY-ITS-AUTHORISED-SIGNATORY,-

SRI.-RAVI-KANTH-- AGED-ABOUT-44-YEARS-Digitally S/O.MAHALINGAIAH-signedtiby …PETITIONER-VANAMALA0N (BY-SRI.-V-B-SHIVAKUMAR,-ADVOCATE)-Location: HIGH0COURT A OF AND:AKARNATAKA A

1.-THE-CHIEF-COMMISSIONER-GREATER-BENGALURU-AUTHORITY--N.R.-SQUARE,-J.C.-ROAD,--BENGALURU-560-002.--

2.-THE-JOINT-COMMISSIONER--ADVERTISEMENT-DEPARTMENT-BRUHAT-BENGALURU-MAHANAGARA-PALIKE-((((((((((((HC-KAR, NC:(2026:KHC:36487( WP(No.(20440(of(2026( ( ,,,,,,,,,, , CNR:(KAHC010451482026( ( ( PRESENTLY-GREATER-BENGALURU-AUTHORITY,-N.R.-SQUARE,-J.C.-ROAD,-BENGALURU-560-002.--

3.-ASSISTANT-REVENUE-OFFICER-ADVERTISEMENT-CENTRE-BENGALURU-CITY-CENTRAL-CORPORATION-PU-BUILDING--TH15 -FLOOR,-BENGALURU--560001.--

4.-THE-CHIEF-COMMISSIONER-THROUGH-THE-DEPUTY-COMMISSIONER-ADVERTISEMENT-DEPARTMENT--BBMP-MUNICIPAL-OFFICER-N-R-SQUARE-BENGALURU-560001.-…RESPONDENTS-(BY-SRI.-KARTHIKEYAN-B-S.,-ADVOCATE-FOR-R1-TO-R4)---THIS-WP-IS-FILED-UNDER-ARTICLE-226-OF-THE-CONSTITUTION-OF-INDIA-PRAYING-TO-QUASHING-THE-ENDORSEMENT-DATED-12.5.2026-BEARING-NO.--SAKAMA-(JA-KE)/P.R.23/2026-27-PRODUCED-AT-ANNEXURE-'A'-ISSUED-BY-THE-RESPONDENT-NO.3-CLAIMING-PAYMENT-OF-RS.3,00,46,545/--AND-CONSEQUENTLY-ORDER-ISSUING-LICENSE/AGENCY-IN-FAVOUR-OF-PETITIONER;-B)-DIRECTING-THE-RESPONDENT-AUTHORITIES-TO-CONSIDER-LETTER-DATED-26.5.2026-WHICH-IS-AT-ANNEXURE-B-ISSUED-TO-RESPONDENT-NO.3-AND-TO-CONSIDER-FORM-I-WHICH-IS-AT-ANNEXURE-C-DATED-03.09.2025-GIVEN-TO-RESPONDENT-NO.4-FOR-GRANT-OF-LICENSE-IN-

TERMS OF CLAUSE 5 OF GREATER BENGALURU GOVERNANCE ACT, 2024.

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE B M SHYAM PRASAD

ORAL ORDER

The petitioner is engaged in the business of advertising, and the petitioner has applied for issuance of license in Form No.1 on 08.09.2025. The third respondent, in response, has issued the impugned Endorsement dated 12.05.2026 [Annexure-A] informing the petitioner [a] that in terms of Rule 6(ii) of the Greater Bengaluru Area (Advertisement) Rules, 2025 [for short, 'the Rules'], if an agency is in due of any amount to the GBA, the license cannot be issued; [b] that the petitioner is liable to pay a sum of Rs. 3,00,46,545/-; [c] that unless this amount is paid and No Due Certificates are secured from all the five

city corporations, the petitioner's request for issuance of license in Form No.1 will not be considered.

Sri V.B. Shivakumar, the learned counsel for the petitioner, and Sri B.S. Karthikeyan who has filed vakalath for the Greater Bengaluru Authority and its officers [the respondents], are heard for disposal of the petition in the light of the petitioner's case that the demand relates to GST, and that the question whether there could be such a demand is pending consideration in W.P.No.1966/2023[LB-BMP] filed by the petitioner and that there is an interim order staying the demand.

Sri V.B. Shivakumar submits that in the light of these circumstances, the third respondent could not have issued the impugned Endorsement. This Court must opine that if indeed there is a stay and if the petitioner is not due otherwise and can place on record No Due Certificates from the other five city

corporations, there must be due consideration and therefore, the petition must be disposed of reading the Endorsement as only a 'Notice' with liberty to the petitioner to file a response calling upon the third respondent to consider the same in the light of this Court's observation and the No Due Certificates that the petitioner can place on record. Hence, the following: ORDER [A] The petition stands disposed of reading the impugned Endorsement dated 12.05.2026 [Annexure-A] as only a 'Notice' which extends an opportunity to the petitioner to produce No Due Certificates.

[B] The petitioner is reserved with liberty to file a certified copy of this Order and a response to the impugned Endorsement which is now read as a 'Notice' with all the enclosures.

[C] The petitioner will be at liberty to file a certified copy of this Order and the response along with enclosures as aforesaid within a week from the date of receipt of a copy of this Order.

[D] The third respondent shall communicate the decision to the petitioner within ten [10] days from the date of receipt of the petitioner's response.

Sd/- (B M SHYAM PRASAD) JUDGE

SA List No.: 2 Sl No.: 8