Reserved on : 11.03.2026 Pronounced on : 27.03.2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 27^TH DAY OF MARCH, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M. NAGAPRASANNA WRIT PETITION No.2783 OF 2026 (GM – RES)

BETWEEN:

SRI RAVICHANDRE GOWDA N.R.

AGED ABOUT 56 YEARS, S/O N.L.RACHE GOWDA, R/AT 62/B, 5^TH MAIN, MARUTHI TEMPLE STREET, NEAR NALPAK HOTEL, KUVEMPUNAGAR, MYSURU DISTRICT, KARNATAKA – 570 023.

... PETITIONER (BY SRI BIPIN HEGDE, ADVOCATE A/W., SRI GAURAV N., ADVOCATE)

AND

1 . STATE OF KARNATAKA, REPRESENTED BY ITS CHIEF SECRETARY, VIDHANA SOUDHA, DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI, BENGALURU – 560 001.

Page no 01 is retyped and replaced vide court order dated 07.04.2026

2 . THE UNDER SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS (D.P.A.R.), GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA, VIDHANA SOUDHA, BENGALURU – 560 001.

3 . THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, KARNATAKA LOKAYUKTA, NO.317, “PADMALAYA”, DEWANS ROAD, SHIVARAMPET, MYSURU, KARNATAKA – 570 004.

... RESPONDENTS (BY SRI B.N.JAGADEESHA, ADDL.SPP FOR R-1 AND R-2;

SRI B.LETHIF, ADVOCATE FOR R-3)

THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND

227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA READ WITH SECTION 528 OF BNSS, 2023 PRAYING TO QUASH THE ORDER DTD. 26.05.2025 BEARING NO. CSUI 51 SAS 2022, PASSED BY THE R-2 HEREIN, WHICH IS PRODUCED HERETO AS ANNEXURE-“A”; DIRECT THE R-2 HEREIN, TO GRANT APPROVAL UNDER SECTION 17(A) OF THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT, 1988; DIRECT R-3 HEREIN, TO REGISTER THE FIRST INFORMATION REPORT AND CONDUCT INVESTIGATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW.

THIS WRIT PETITION HAVING BEEN HEARD AND RESERVED FOR ORDERS ON 11.03.2026, COMING ON FOR PRONOUNCEMENT THIS DAY, THE COURT MADE THE FOLLOWING:-

CORAM: THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE M.NAGAPRASANNA

CAV ORDER

The petitioner is before this Court calling in question an order dated 26-05-2025 passed by the 2^nd respondent declining to grant approval as sought by him under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Act’ for short)

in terms of an order passed by this Court on an earlier occasion.

2. Heard Sri Bipin Hegde, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, Sri B.N. Jagadeesha, learned Additional State Public Prosecutor appearing for respondents 1 and 2 and Sri B. Lethif, learned counsel appearing for respondent No.3.

3. Facts, in brief, germane are as follows: -

3.1. The petitioner is said to be a Lawyer by profession and a Social Activist. The backdrop and the fulcrum in the subject petition dates back to a meeting held under the Chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner, Mysore District – an Officer of the Indian Administrative Service – Smt. Rohini Sindhuri, with regard to waste management and disposal activities being carried out across the District and to ensure redressal of grievances/problems relating to waste management in the District. It is said to have been decided in the said meeting to ban use of plastic bags across the District and further resolved to distribute eco-friendly cloth bags to all the residents who would come within the precincts of Mysore City Corporation and other local bodies.

3.2. The District Urban Development Cell, in furtherance of the said resolution, issues a direction on 17-03-2021 wherein the IEC funds to the tune of ₹10/- lakhs of Swatch Bharath Mission specifically allocated for development in K.R.Nagar Gram Panchayat are said to have been diverted towards purchase of eco-friendly cloth bags. The Deputy Commissioner, Mysore District issues certain directions on 09-04-2021 for procurement of said bags using various funds specifically allocated to different Corporations and Gram Panchayats. The Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation was issued a work order for procurement of both 5 Kg. and 10 Kg capacity eco-friendly cloth bags at ₹52/- per bag including GST. 14,71,458 bags were to be purchased at an estimated cost of ₹7,65,15,816/-.

3.3. The District Urban Development Cell addresses a communication to the Commissioner, Mysore City Corporation that certain f