R IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 15TH DAY OF JULY, 2019 BEFORE THE HON’BLE MR.JUSTICE G.NARENDAR WRIT PETITION NO.14653/2019 (LB RES) BETWEEN SRI RAMACHANDRA J S/O JAYARAM AGED ABOUT 30 YEARS, M.C. HALLI, KASABA HOBLI, TARIKERE TALUK, CHICKMAGALORE DISTRICT-577 228 ... PETITIONER (BY SMT. KAVITHA M S, ADV.) AND 1. THE GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND PANCHAYATH RAJ REPRESENTED BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY M.S. BUILDINGS, BANGALORE-560001 2. THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER CHICKMAGALUR DISTRICT-577228.
3. THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ZILLA PANCHAYATH, TARIKERE TALUK, CHICKMAGALURU DISTRICT-577134 4. THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER TALUK PANCHAYATH, M.C. HALLI, TARIKERE TALUK, CHICKMAGALURU DISTRICT-577228 5. SUJATHA W/O DEVENDRA AGED ABOUT 35 YEARS, UPADHYAKSHA GRAMA PANCHAYATH M.C. HALLI, TARIKERE TALUK CHICKMAGALORE DISTRICT-577228 6. KUMAR S/O ARMUGAM AGED ABOUT 40 YEARS, GRAMA PANCHAYATH M.C. HALLI, TARIKERE TALUK CHICKMAGALORE DISTRICT-577228 7. KOMALA W/O MANJUNATH AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS, GANTEKANIVE, M C HALLI, TARIKERE TALUK, CHICKMAGALORE DISTRICT-577228 8. RAJU K S/O KANNAPPA AGED ABOUT 45 YEARS, M.C. HALLI QUARTERS M.C. HALLI TARIKERE TALUK CHICKMAGALORE DISTRICT-577228 9. ANANDA S/O HIRIYA SWAMY AGED ABOUT 43 YEARS, H RANGAPURA TARIKERE TALUK CHICKMAGALORE-577228 10. BASAVARAJU S/O SAVAKAYYA AGED ABOUT 32 YEARS, M.C. HALLI, TARIKERE TALUK CHICKMAGALORE DISTRICT-577228 11. ANNEGOWDA S/O EERE GOWDA AGED ABOUT 42 YEARS, HOSA BADAVANE, M.C. HALLI TARIKERE TALUK, CHICKMAGALORE DISTRICT-577228 12. JANAKAMMA W/O DEVEGOWDA AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS, BHADRAGIRI, M.C. HALLI TARIKERE TALUK CHICKMAGALORE DISTRICT-577 228 (BY SRI M.A.SUBRAMANI, HCGP FOR R1-R2, SRI ASHOK N.NAYAK, ADV. FOR R3 & R4 (VK NOT FILED R/O R3) SRI MANJUNATH, ADV. FOR C/R8, ... RESPONDENTS R4,R5,R7,R9-12 ARE SERVED AND UNREPRESENTED.) THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLE 226 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA, PRAYING TO SET ASIDE THE ORDER ISSUED BY THE R-1 GOVERNMENT ORDER DATED 23.03.2019 WHICH IS ARBITRARY AND ILLEGAL, AND VIOLATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL JUSTICE (ANNEXURE-C) ETC.
THIS WRIT PETITION COMING ON FOR ORDERS THIS DAY, THE COURT MADE THE FOLLOWING:
ORDER Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned High Court Govt. Pleader and the learned counsel for respondent Nos.3 and 4 and the learned counsel for respondent No.8.
2. The facts in brief are that the petitioner was elected as a member of the M.C. Halli gram panchayat and that the petitioner was also elected as the President of the said gram panchayat. That in the course of discharge of his functions as President of the gram panchayat, it is alleged that the petitioner indulged in a misconduct as defined under Section 43-A (v) of The Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act, 1993 (for short ‘the Act’), the 8th respondent is the complainant and respondent Nos.3 and 4 are the respective Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla & Taluk Panchayats. Upon receipt of the complaint, the first respondent obtained a report from the 3rd respondent. The third respondent submitted a report on the allegations in the following terms which is as under:-
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3. Based on the report, enquiry is said to have been conducted. Matter was taken up on 30.06.2018 and explanations/objections of the petitioner were received, matter was posted to 07.12.2018 and on that date the matter was reserved for orders. Prima-facie, the manner in which the enquiry has been conducted to deprive the petitioner not only of his right as an elected member of the panchayat but also the right to continue in office as a President leaves much to be desired.
4. On perusal of the charges it is seen that in respect of charge No.2 the PDO himself has explained the practice as adopted by the panchayat for executing minor works of the panchayat. It is the admitted practice that for executing minor works, cheques are issued in the name of employees and amounts are drawn and disburse to the labourers and also to provide refreshment and food to the labourers employed by the panchayat for the purpose of executing panchayat work. In the instant case, the fact remains that the father of the petitioner is employed as an attender of the panchayats since 1994 and the petitioner was elected in the year 2016. In the light of the statement of the PDO the mere fact that the attender is a relative of the petitioner cannot be a ground to infer any misconduct. The fact remains that the execution of the works and the expenditure incurred are not denied. Merely because the attender is also is the father of the petitioner cannot be a ground to ignore the fact that he is an employee of the panchayat and the same cannot be lost sight of.
5. If that be the admitted practice and if the said practice is not faulted with and there being no allegation that the amount so drawn has been misappropriated. Mere fact that cheque is drawn in the name of the father, cannot be ground to hold or presume otherwise that the petitioner is guilty of any misconduct.
6. The other allegation is that the petitioner had issued a license to a organic fertilizer shop without the concurrence of the PDO. Though there is no provision for the President to independently issue any trade license, it is merely a procedural violation and even in that case, there is no allegation that the petitioner has indulged in any corrupt practice nor is there any allegation that the license has been issued for any extraneous consideration.
7. In the light of the above discussion, this court is of the opinion that the punishment imposed by invoking the provisions of Section 43-A of the Act is unjustified. Accordingly, the writ petition is allowed and the impugned Annexure-C is quashed. The membership of the panchayat shall be restored to the petitioner and the petitioner shall be restored as the President of the gram panchayat. Petition stands ordered accordingly.
No order as to costs.
Chs* CT-HR Sd/- JUDGE