ORDER :

1. The writ petitioners, who happen to be the public servants, are knocking at the doors of the Writ Court for assailing the common Judgment and Order dated 11.12.2019 made by the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal at Bengaluru, whereby their Application Nos. 536-538 of 2017 wherein a challenge was laid to the proceedings under the Karnataka Lokayuktha Act, 1984, have been negatived. After service of notice, the respondent-State Government is represented by the learned Additional Government Advocate and the respondent-Lokayuktha is represented by its Sr. Panel Counsel; both they vehemently oppose the writ petitions making submission in justification of the impugned order of the KAT.

2. Brief facts of the case:

(a) The Lokayuktha proceedings were triggered by the complaint of one Mr. Gavisiddappa Saloni, an advocate from Gangavathi; the allegation was that certain land records were meddled with and phodi of lands was made unlawfully; the said complaint was referred to the Assistant Commissioner, Koppal, for preliminary inquiry in terms of Section 9(3) of the Act; the Assistant Commissioner, in turn, forwarded a copy of the complaint to the petitioners who had filed the objection