IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 14^TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURAJ GOVINDARAJ WRIT PETITION NO.28203 OF 2025 (GM-RES)

BETWEEN:

1. S GOWRI SHANKAR, AGED ABOUT 44 YEARS, S/O S SUGAVANAM, S1, COMFORT HEIGHTS, LB SHASTRI NAGAR MAIN ROAD, BENGALURU - 560 017.

MOBILE: 99002 45638, EMAIL:MR.GOWRISHANKAR@GMAIL.COM PAN-ATPRS1726P, AADHAR 4515 9157 0568

2. VIJAY CHANDER T, AGED ABOUT 41 YEARS, S/O THANARAJ, 29, VIJAY VILLA, ANNCIYA BLISS, MUNESWARA SWAMY LAYOUT, GUDIGHATTANAHALLI, SARJAPURA HOBLI, BENGALURU KARNATAKA - 562 125.

Digitally signed MOBILE. 98860 82682, by SHWETHA RAGHAVEN DRA EMAIL:VJCHDR@GMAIL.COM, PAN-AKNPC7749K, Location: HIGH COURT OF AADHAR - 2776 0205 3450.

KARNATAKA …PETITIONERS (BY SRI D GOWRISHANKAR, PARTY IN PERSON)

AND:

1. THE KARANTAKA STATE BAR COUNCIL, REP. BY THE SECRETARY, OLD K.G.I.D. BUILDING, DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI, BENGALURU - 560 001.

2. THE BAR COUNCIL OF INDIA, REP. BY THE CHAIRMAN, 21, ROUSE AVENUE INSTITUTIONAL AREA, NEW DELHI - 110 002.

3. THE KARNATAKA STATE LAW UNIVERSITY, REP. BY THE REGISTRAR (EVALUATION), NAVANAGAR, HUBBALLI - 580 025.

…RESPONDENTS (BY SMT. ANUBHA SRIVASTAVA, ADVOCATE FOR R-2;

SRI GIRISH KUMAR, ADVOCATE FOR R-3;

V/O DATED 23.09.2025 G NATARAJ FOR R-1)

THIS WP IS FILED UNDER ARTICLE 226 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA, 1950 PRAYING TO (1) DIRECT RESPONDENT NO. 1 TO PROCESS THE PETITIONERS' APPLICATIONS FOR ENROLMENT AS ADVOCATES WITHOUT INSISTING ON PRIOR DOCUMENT VERIFICATION AS A PRECONDITION, AND TO CONFINE ITSELF STRICTLY TO SEEK THE DOCUMENTS AND PROCEDURES CONTEMPLATED UNDER THE ADVOCATES ACT, 1961 AND THE RULES MADE THEREUNDER ETC.

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

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURAJ GOVINDARAJ

ORAL ORDER

1. The Petitioners are before this Court seeking for the following reliefs:

1) "Direct Respondent No.1 to process the Petitioners' applications for enrolment as Advocates without insisting on prior document verification as a precondition, and to confine itself strictly to seek the documents and procedures contemplated under the Advocates Act, 1961 and the Rules made thereunder;

2) Direct Respondent No. 2 to not curtail or terminate the validity of Petitioners' AIBE results, considering that they had already cleared their LL.B. examinations prior to appearing for the AIBE;

3) Direct Respondent no. 1 to refund the fees collected from the Petitioners towards "document verification charges", of Rs.2,500 in line with the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court;

4) Direct Respondent 1 to adjust the sum of Rs.300 already collected from the petitioners as enrolment application fees, by deducting the same from the final enrolment fees of Rs.750 payable;

5) Direct Respondent No.3 to compensate the Petitioners for the inordinate delay in issuing their Provisional Degree Certificate and Passing Certificate, as mandated under the Sakala Act;

and

6) Pass such other and further orders or directions as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit in the interests of justice and equity."

2. The grievance of the Petitioner was that, the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) results in respect of the petitioners having been announced long ago, the application which had been submitted by the Petitioners to the Karnataka State Bar Council (KSBC) had not been processed. The validity period of the AIBE examination results was coming to an end, it was apprehended that the petitioners would not be enrolled with the Karnataka State Bar Council. It is in that background that certain directions had been issued on 08.10.2025.

3. The Bar Council of India, by taking into consideration the problems which would be caused to the students who have passed the AIBE results, has thought it fit to extend the validity of the AIBE Results until 21.03.2026, which would provide enough and more time for the Karnataka State Bar Council to process the applications which have been filed by the students concerned.

4. The subm