IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 13^TH DAY OF MARCH, 2026 PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.G.PANDIT AND THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE K. V. ARAVIND WRIT PETITION No. 8162 OF 2026 (S-KSAT)

BETWEEN:

1. SRI GANGADHAR M DODDAMANI, S/O LATE MARIYAPPA DODDAMANI, AGED ABOUT 55 YEARS, PRESENTLY WORKING AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR, WAITING FOR POSTING AT THE OFFICE OF COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF BACKWARD CLASSES WELFARE, DEVARAJ URS BHAVAN, 3^RD FLOOR, VASANTH NAGAR, BANGALORE - 560 052, Digitally PRESENTLY RESIDING AT No.36, signed by SAI NAGAR EXTENSION, HATALAGIRI ROAD, VINUTHA B S Location: GADAG- 580021.

High Court of …PETITIONER Karnataka (BY SRI SATISH K., ADVOCATE)

AND:

1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA, REPRESENTED BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF BACKWARD CLASSES WELFARE, VIKASA SOUDHA, BANGALORE - 560 001.

2. THE COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF BACKWARD CLASSES WELFARE, DEVARAJ URS BHAVAN, 3^RD FLOOR, VASANTH NAGAR, BENGALURU - 560052.

3. SMT. BHANUMATI. H., HUSBAND'S NAME NOT KNOWN TO THE PETITIONER, MAJOR, PRESENTLY TRANSFERRED AS DISTRICT WELFARE OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF BACKWARD CLASSES WELFARE, DHARWAD 580 001.

…RESPONDENTS (BY SRI REUBEN JACOB, AAG A/W SRI V. SHIVAREDDY, AGA FOR R1 & R2;

SRI VIJAYA SIMHA REDDY D. V., ADVOCATE FOR R3)

THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO SET ASIDE THE IMPUGNED ORDER DATED 26.02.2026 PASSED BY THE HON'BLE KARNATAKA STATE ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL, BANGALORE IN APPLICATION No.10891/2025 (ANNEXURE-A) AND CONSEQUENTLY ALLOW THE SAID APPLICATION No. 10891/2025 PREFERRED BY THE PETITIONER, AS PRAYED FOR, (ANNEXURE-B), IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE AND EQUITY THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING IN 'B' GROUP THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.G.PANDIT and HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE K. V. ARAVIND

ORAL ORDER

(PER: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE K. V. ARAVIND)

Heard Sri.Satish K., learned counsel for the petitioner, Sri.Reuben Jacob, learned Additional Advocate General along with Sri. V. Shivareddy, learned Additional Government Advocate for respondent Nos.1 and 2 and Sri. Vijaya Simha Reddy D.V., learned counsel for respondent No.3.

2. The unsuccessful applicant in Application No.10891/2025 is before this Court, impugning the order dated 26.02.2026 passed by the Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal, Bengaluru (for short, “the Tribunal”).

3. The facts, in brief, are that the petitioner while in the cadre of Deputy Director was transferred as District Welfare Officer, Backward Classes Welfare Department, Dharwad, by order dated 16.11.2024, and reported for duty on 21.11.2024. The said post was subsequently upgraded to the cadre of Deputy Director in the Department of Backward Classes, pursuant to Government Order (Annexure-A2). Respondent No.3 was promoted as District Welfare Officer and was thereafter transferred, by Notification dated 14.08.2025 (Annexure-A3), to the place of the petitioner. The petitioner was, in turn, directed to report to the Social Welfare Department at the Head Office, Bengaluru. Aggrieved by the order of transfer, the petitioner preferred an application before the Tribunal. The Tribunal rejected the application.

4. Sri Satish K., learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, submits that the petitioner was transferred as District Welfare Officer, Backward Classes Welfare Department, Dharwad. The said post was upgraded to the cadre of Deputy Director on 16.01.2025. It is further submitted that respondent No.3, upon promotion as District Welfare Officer, was posted in the place of the petitioner.

4.1 It is submitted that the post held by the petitioner, having been upgraded as Deputy Director, is stated to have been downgraded from Deputy Director to District Welfare Officer in order to accommodate respondent No.3. It is contended that, unless the order of upgradation dated 16.01.2025 is modified, such downgrading is not permissible in the manner indicated in the Notification dated 14.08.2025. It is