IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 21^ST DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R DEVDAS WRIT PETITION NO. 26196 OF 2025 (KLR-CON)

BETWEEN:

M.Y. SRIKANTH AGED ABOUT 58 YEARS S/O M. YELLAPPA NO.2, 14^TH CROSS, GOVINDARAJA NAGARA BANGALORE - 560 079.

…PETITIONER (BY SRI. B.R.VISWANATH, ADVOCATE)

AND:

1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY REVENUE DEPARTMENT VIDHANA SOUDHA BANGALORE - 560 001.

Digitally signed by

2. THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER SHARADAVANI B BANGALORE DISTRICT Location: HIGH KANDAYA BHAVANA COURT OF K.G. ROAD KARNATAKA BANGALORE - 560 009.

3. THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER BANGALORE DISTRICT KANDAYA BHAVANA K.G.ROAD BANGALORE - 560 009.

…RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. SHAMANTH NAIK, HCGP)

THIS WP IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO QUASHING THE ENDORSEMENT DATED 16.07.2025, VIDE ALN (SUH2)24 : 42/24-25 ISSUED BY THE SECOND RESPONDENT I.E., ANNEXURE-J AND ETC.

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

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R DEVDAS

ORAL ORDER

Learned High Court Government Pleader takes notice for all the respondents.

2. The petitioner is aggrieved of the impugned endorsement at Annexure-J dated 16.07.2025 issued by the Deputy Commissioner, Bangalore District rejecting the application for conversion filed under Section 95 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 on the ground that the lands in question measuring total extent 02.12 guntas in Sy.Nos.25/14 of Thippasandra Village, Uttarahalli, Bengaluru South Taluk, were lands granted to a person belonging to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe category and therefore the lands could not have been transferred without prior permission of the Government.

3. This Court has held in similar such cases that at this juncture, where the petitioner-khathedar is requesting conversion of the lands from agricultural to non-agricultural purposes, the application cannot be rejected and the same cannot be delayed on the ground that the transaction in respect of the lands are hit by the provisions of the Karnataka SC/ST PTCL Act. The Deputy Commissioner will have to proceed to consider the application and pass necessary orders for conversion. It is also permissible for the Deputy Commissioner to direct initiation of suo-motu proceedings at the hands of the Assistant Commissioner, if there is any violation of the provisions of the PTCL Act. In fact the only remedy available for the Deputy Commissioner is to direct initiation of proceedings under the provisions of the Karnataka SC/ST PTCL Act, 1978 (for short 'the PTCL Act, 1978'). However question of rejecting the application for conversion on that ground does not arise and the same is bad in law.

4. Accordingly, the writ petition is allowed. The impugned endorsement at Annexure-J dated 16.07.2025 issued by the Deputy Commissioner, Bangalore District is hereby quashed and set aside. The Deputy Commissioner shall reconsider the application for conversion filed by the petitioner and pass necessary orders in accordance with law, as expeditiously as possible and at any rate within a period of 6 weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.

Sd/-

(R DEVDAS)

JUDGE GPG List No.: 1 Sl No.: 33