IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 21^ST DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026 PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA CIVIL CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 1103 OF 2025 BETWEEN:

1. SRI KUVEMPU B C M EDUCATION SOCIETY ®

ARUDI, DODDABALLAPURA TALUK BANGALORE RURAL DISTRICT REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY SMT. SHASHIKALA …COMPLAINANT (BY SRI DEVARAJA M.S., ADVOCATE)

AND:

Digitally signed by 1. SMT RASHMI V MAHESH AMBIKA H B CHIEF SECRETARY Location:

DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY High Court of Karnataka AND SECONDARY EDUCATION GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA M.S. BUILDING BANGALORE - 560 001

2. SRI. RITESH KUMAR SINGH DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION (PRE-UNIVERSITY)

18^TH CROSS, SAMPIGE ROAD MALLESHWARA, BANGALORE - 560 018

3. DR. BALAGURU MURTHY DEPUTY DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION (PRE-UNIVERSITY)

GOVT. BOYS' PRE-UNIVERSITY COLLEGE COMPOUND TUMKUR - 572 102

4. SRI. RITESH KUMAR SINGH PRINCIPAL SECRETAERY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA VIDHANA SOUDHA BENGALURU - 560 001 ... ACCUSED

5. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA REP. BY ITS SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION VIDHANA SOUDHA BENGALURU - 560 001 …PRO FORMA RESPONDENT (BY SRI S.H. RAGHAVENDRA, AGA)

THIS CCC IS FILED UNDER SECTION 11 AND 12 OF THE CONTEMPT OF COURTS ACT, 1971 R/W ARTICLE 215 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA, PRAYING TO TAKE NECESSARY ACTION AGAINST THE ACCUSED PERSONS FOR WILLFULLY AND DELIBERATELY VIOLATING THE ORDER DATED 01.04.2025 PASSED BY THIS HONBLE COURT IN WP NO.3191/2022 (EDN-GIA).

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

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE and HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA

ORAL ORDER

(PER: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE)

1. The complainant has filed the present complaint alleging willful disobedience of the order dated 01.04.2025. The operative part of the said order reads as under:

"(i) The petition is hereby allowed (ii) The impugned endorsement at Annexure-Q dated

19.03.2019 is hereby quashed.

(iii) Respondents are directed include the petitioner - institution for the purpose of grant-in-aid code subject to petitioner complying with all other legal / statutory requirements, in accordance with law, within a period of six weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.

(iv) It is needless to state that in the event the petitioner is found not to have complied with any of the other statutory requirements, liberty is reserved to the respondents to proceed further in accordance with law, bearing in mind the observations made in this order and documents after providing sufficient and reasonable opportunity to the petitioner."

2. Accused No.3 has filed an affidavit of compliance on 15.11.2025, enclosing therewith an endorsement dated 05.11.2025. The same indicates that the complainant's representation was considered and it was held that the complainant-college is not eligible to be included under the grant-in-aid. It was also observed that there were no lecturers in the college and the complainant did not have the requisite infrastructure. It was further observed that although the students are shown in the SATS, there is no attendance in the classrooms.

3. The complainant had submitted that the said endorsement is not compliant with the order dated 01.04.2025 as the complainant was not given an opportunity to be heard. This was noted by this court in the order dated 18.11.2025.

4. The accused has thereafter afforded the representative of the complainant an opportunity to be heard and issued another endorsement dated 16.02.2026 rejecting the complainant's request.

5. In view of the above, we find no ground to proceed against the accused under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

6. The complaint is, accordingly, closed.

7. We, however, clarify that this would not preclude the complainant from availing any substantive remedy in respect of the endorsements issued by the accused, albeit in accordance with law. Sd/-

(VIBHU BAKHRU)

CHIEF JUSTICE Sd/-

(C.M. P