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2026 Supreme(Online)(Kar) 20634

THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA
Sachin Shankar Magadum, J
T.V. Sathyanarayana Gupta – Appellant
Versus
The Prescribed Authority under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971, Chief Officer, Town Municipality, Pavagada – Respondent
WRIT PETITION NO. 9943 OF 2026 (GM-PP)



Proceedings under the Karnataka Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1974 are summary in nature; therefore, expansive discovery and interrogatory mechanisms under Order XI of the CPC cannot be applied to convert summary eviction or appellate proceedings into full-fledged civil trials.

Headnote:The petitioner challenged an order passed by the Appellate Authority rejecting an application filed under Order XI Rules 1, 2 and 14 read with Section 151 of the CPC for the production of various documents and interrogatories. The case pertains to eviction proceedings initiated under Section 4 of the Karnataka Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1974, where the petitioner was declared an unauthorized occupant. The primary issue was whether the discovery and interrogatory mechanisms of the CPC are applicable in summary proceedings and subsequent appeals under Section 10 of the 1974 Act. The court held that proceedings under the Act are "essentially summary in nature, intended to provide a swift and efficacious mechanism for eviction" and that the CPC's applicability is "procedural and not plenary." The court reasoned that allowing roving or fishing enquiries would "convert summary proceedings into a detailed civil adjudication," thereby defeating the legislative intent of the Act. The petition is devoid of merits and is accordingly dismissed.

Table of Content
1. procedural history of eviction and subsequent appeal for document production. (Para 1 , 2 , 3)
2. summary nature of eviction proceedings precludes roving fishing enquiries under cpc. (Para 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8)
3. discovery mechanisms under order xi cpc are inapplicable in statutory appeals under the 1974 act. (Para 9 , 10 , 11 , 12)
4. rejection of dilatory tactics and affirmation of the appellate authority's order. (Para 13 , 14 , 15 , 16)

THIS W.P. IS FILED UNDER ARTICLE 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO A) ISSUE A WRIT OF CERTIORARI OR ANY OTHER APPROPRIATE WRIT OR DIRECTION BY QUASHING ORDER, DATED 17.01.2026, PASSED ON IA-2, FILED U/OR. XI RULE-1 AND 2 AND 14 R/W SEC.151 OF CPC, 1908 IN M.A NO.5025/2024, PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE IV ADDL. DIST. AND SESSIONS JUDGE, TUMAKURU SITTING AT MADHUGIRI., VIDE ANNEXURE-A.

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

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM

ORAL ORDER

The present writ petition is filed by the petitioner, an alleged unauthorized occupant, calling in question the order passed by the Appellate Authority, whereby an application filed under Order XI Rules 1, 2 and 14 read with Section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (for short, 'CPC'), has been rejected. The Appellate Authority has declined to entertain the said application on the ground that such recourse is not permissible in an appeal preferred under Section 10 of the Karnataka Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1974 (for short, ‘the Act, 1974’).

2. The brief facts leading to the filing of the present petition are that respondent No.2 appointed respondent No.1 as the Estate Officer for initiating proceedings to evict the petitioner on the premise that he is an unauthorized occupant of the subject premises. Pursuant to such appointment, respondent No.1/Estate Officer issued notice to the petitioner, conducted an enquiry in accordance with law, and ultimately passed an order of eviction under Section 4 of the Act 1974.

3. Aggrieved by the order of eviction passed by the Estate Officer, the petitioner preferred an appeal before the Appellate Authority under Section 10 of the 1974 Act. During the pendency of the said appeal, the petitioner filed an application under Order XI Rules 1, 2 and 14 read with Section 151 of CPC, seeking a direction to respondent No.2 to produce certain documents, which according to the petitioner are necessary for effective adjudication of the appeal. The said application, however, came to be rejected by the Appellate Authority.

4. Heard the learned counsel appearing for the parties. This Court has carefully considered the rival submissions and has bestowed its anxious consideration to the prayer sought in the application filed under Order XI Rules 1 and 2 of CPC. This Court deems it appropriate to extract the interrogatories sought to be administered to the respondents, which read as follows:

1. The Respondents to produce the Video recorded during the Auction proceedings.

2. The Respondents to produce the Original lease agreement executed by the appellant from time to time as directed by the TMC Pavagada with the deposit made by the appellant.

3. The Respondents to produce the documents showing when the appellant has occupied the premises and on what basis/order he has occupied the premises. Further, the relevant dates with documents when the occupation of the premises by the appellant was allowed to continue to be produced.

4. The Respondents to produce documents showing the rents paid by the appellant from the date when the appellant occupied the premises/or give such other particulars showing the rents as well as deposits made by the appellant.

5. A reference is made in the objections regarding the Govt. of Karnataka Notification dated 20-06-2000 appointing the Respondent as Estate Officer, but the Respondent has not produced any document as to whether the Chief Officer of th

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