IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU
DATED THIS THE 18TH DAY OF OCTOBER 2022
PRESENT
THE HON9BLE MR. PRASANNA B. VARALE, CHIEF JUSTICE
AND
THE HON9BLE MR. JUSTICE ASHOK S. KINAGI
WRIT APPEAL NO. 821 OF 2022 (LB-BMP)
BETWEEN:
1 .
RAJU
SINCE DEAD BY HIS LRS
NANJAMMA
W/O LATE RAJU
AGED 62 YEARS
2 . R MANJU
S/O LATE RAJU
AGED 36 YEARS
BOTH ARE R/AT NO 61, 2ND MAIN,
2ND CROSS, MUNESHWARA BLOCK,
GELEYARA BALAGA, MAHALAKSHMI LAYOUT
BANGALORE 560086.
3 . KALAVATHI
W/O BASAVARAJU
AGED ABOUT 46 YEARS
R/A MAHALAKSHMI LAYOUT
BANGALORE 560086.
4 . MEENAKSHAMMA
W/O DODDAIAH
AGED ABOUT 34 YEARS
R/A CHOONAKNAHALLI
TAVAREKERE HOBLI
- 2 -
BANGALORE RURAL DIST.-562130.
5 . LAKSHMI
W/O SHIVARAMAEGOWDA
AGED ABOUT 34 YEARS
R/O CHOWDESHWARNAGARA
LAGGERE
BANGALORE 560058.
...APPELLANTS
(BY SRI. YOGESH V. KOTEMATH, ADVOCTE FOR
SRI. VIRUPAKSHAIAH P H, ADVOCATE)
AND:
1 .
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF HORTICULTURE (WEST)
BRUHAT BANGALORE MAHANGARA PALIKE
8TH CROSS, MALLESHWARAM
BANGALORE 560003.
2 .
THE COMMISSIONER
BRUAHT BENGALURU MAHANAGARA PALIKE
HUDSON CIRCLE
BANGLAORE 560001.
3 .
THE JOINT COMMISSIONER
WEST ZONE
BRUAHT BENGALURU MAHANAGARA PALIKE
BANGALORE 560003.
4 .
THE ADDITIONAL COMMISSIOENR
WEST ZONE
BRUAHT BENGALURU MAHALNGARA PALIKE
BANGALORE 560003.
&RESPONDENTS
THIS WRIT APPEAL IS FILED UNDER SECTION 4 OF
THE KARNATAKA HIGH COURT ACT, 1961, PRAYING TO
CALL FOR RECORDS IN WP NO-30912/2015 (LB-BMP)
AND SET ASIDE THE ORDER DATED 22.06.2022 IN WP
NO-30912/2015 (LB-BMP) PASSED BY THE LEARNED
SINGLE JUDGE BY ALLOWING THE WP NO-30912/2015
(LB-BMP) FILED BY THE APPELLANTS.
- 3 -
THIS WRIT APPEAL COMING ON FOR ORDERS THIS
DAY,
ASHOK
S.
KINAGI,
J.,
DELIVERED
THE
FOLLOWING:
This appeal is an intra-court appeal under
Section 4 of the Karnataka High Court Act, 1961 filed
challenging the order dated 22.6.2022 passed by the
learned Single Judge in W.P.No.30912/2015.
2. Brief facts of the case leading rise to the filing
of this writ appeal are as follows :
Respondent No.3 initiated eviction proceedings
under the provisions of the Karnataka Public Premises
(Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1974
(hereinafter referred to as 8the Act9) against Mr.Raju
(deceased appellant, now represented by his legal
representatives). An order of eviction came to be
passed
by
respondent
No.3
vide
order
dated
26.6.2012. The said order of eviction was challenged
by the deceased appellant in M.A.No.20/2012 on the
file of the XLI Additional City Civil Judge, Bengaluru
(CCH-42), which came to be allowed vide order dated
12.12.2013 and remitted the matter to respondent
- 4 -
No.3 for fresh disposal in accordance with law and
further directed the deceased appellant to pay the
amount of house rent allowance. The deceased
appellant aggrieved by the portion of the order
passed in M.A.20/2012 in regard to payment of
amount
of
HRA,
preferred
a
writ
petition
in
W.P.No.10997/2014. This Court vide order dated
28.8.2014 disposed of the writ petition and set aside
the portion of the order passed in the aforesaid
appeal pertaining to payment of HRA. Respondent
No.2 has passed an order dated 27.6.2015 directing
respondent No.3 to recover a sum of Rs.2,41,040/-
being the excess HRA paid to the deceased appellant.
The legal representatives of the deceased appellant
filed a writ petition in W.P.No.30912/2015. The
learned Single Judge vide order dated 22.6.2022
dismissed the writ petition. Hence, the appellants
aggrieved by the same have filed this intra-court
appeal.
3. Heard the learned counsel for the appellants.
- 5 -
4. Learned counsel for the appellants submits
that the respondents cannot recover the amount paid
to an employee due to no fault on his part. He
further submits that the proceedings initiated by
respondent
No.3
for
recovery
of
a
sum
of
Rs.2,41,040/- being the excess HRA paid to him from
his terminal benefit is contrary to the law laid down
by the Hon9ble Apex Court in the case of State of
Punjab
and
Others
v.
Rafiq
Masih
(white
washer) and others reported in (2015) 4 SCC 334.
He submits that the impugned order is arbitrary and
erroneous and the same is liable to be set aside.
Hence, prayed to allow the writ appeal.
5. Perused the records and considered the
submission of the learned counsel for the appellants.
6. It is not in dispute that the deceased
appellant viz. Raju was working as a Gardener in the
BBMP and was in occupation of the premises bearing
No.11, new No.1, 11th cross, Mahalakshmi Layout,
Bengaluru.
Respondent
No.3
initiated
eviction
- 6 -
proceedings under the provisions of the Act of 1974.
Order of eviction came to be passed directing the
deceased
appellant
to
hand
over
the
vacant
possession of the premises. The deceased appellant
assailed the said order in M.A No.20/2012. The said
appeal was allowed vide order dated 12.12.2013 and
the order of eviction was set aside and remitted the
matter to respondent No.3 for fresh disposal in
accordance with law. A direction was issued to the
deceased appellant to return the house rent allowance
amount claimed by him from the Government. The
deceased appellant, aggrieved by the portion of the
direction to return the HRA amount claimed by him
from the Government, preferred a writ petition in
W.P.No.10997/2014. This Court vide order dated
28.4.2014 observed as under :
<Needless to observe that, in case it is
held upon proper adjudication that the
petitioner has to refund the HRA drawn by
him from the date of occupancy of the
premises in question, the same shall be
liable to be deducted from the terminal
- 7 -
benefits payable to the petitioner, soon
after
he
attains
the
age
of
superannuation=.
7. The deceased appellant did no
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