PHARAHATHA BEGUM vs THE STATE OF KARNATAKA

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HC-KAR
NC: 2026:KHC-K:11689
WP No. 204104 of 2026


CNR: KAHC030105332026




IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA


KALABURAGI BENCH

TH
DATED THIS THE 30 DAY OF OCTOBER, 2026

BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VIJAYKUMAR A. PATIL

WRIT PETITION NO. 204104 OF 2026 (S-KSRTC)

BETWEEN:
1. SMT. PHARAHATHA BEGUM
W/O LATE MOHAMMED ZAKARIYA
AGED ABOUT 48 YEARS
OCC: HOMEMAKER

2. KUMARI SUMAYYA
D/O LATE MOHD. ZAKARIYA
AGED ABOUT 16 YEARS 4 MONTHS
(SINCE PETITIONER NO.2 IS MINOR
SHE IS REPRESENTED BY HER
NATURAL GUARDIAN/MOTHER, PETITIONER NO.1)

BOTH ARE RESIDING AT:
JANATA COLONY
ANDROON KILLA, POST AT MUDGAL
TALUK LINGSUGUR, RAICHUR-584125
…PETITIONERS










Digitally
signed by
SWETA
KULKARNI
Location:
HIGH COURT
OF
KARNATAKA

(BY SRI. AMARNATH., ADVOCATE)
AND:
1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA
REPRESENTED BY THE PRINCIPAL SECRETARY
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT
M S BUILDING, DR AMBEDKAR VEEDHI
BENGALURU-560001

2. THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
KALYAN KARNATAKA STATE ROAD

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WP No. 204104 of 2026


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TRANSPORT CORPORATION
SARIGE SADAN, MAIN ROAD
KALABURAGI-585102

3.
THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER RAICHUR
DIST: RAICHUR-584101

4. THE DIVISIONAL CONTROLLER
K K R T C RAICHUR DIVISION
MANTRALAYAM ROAD
DIST: RAICHUR-584101

5. K K R T C DEPOT MANAGER
KASBA LINGASUGUR ROAD
LINGASUGUR, RAICHUR-584122
…RESPONDENTS
(BY SRI.SHIVAKUMAR TENGLI, AGA R1;
SRI.DEEPAK V. BARAD ADV., FOR R2 TO R5)

THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226
AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA, PRAYING TO, I)
ISSUE A WRIT OF CERTIORARI OR ANY OTHER APPROPRIATE
WRIT, ORDER, OR DIRECTION, QUASHING THE REJECTION
ENDORSEMENT ANNEXURE-D SMA:KKRTC:RAAVI:SIBANDI:
ANNE:463:2024-25, DATED 18.02.2025 ISSUED BY
RESPONDENT NO.4 AS UNJUST, ARBITRARY, AND VIOLATIVE
OF ARTICLE 14 AND 21 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA; II)
ISSUE A WRIT OF MANDAMUS DIRECTING THE RESPONDENTS
TO CONDONE THE MINOR DELAY OF 6 MONTHS 26 DAYS IN
SUBMITTING THE REPRESENTATION, ANNEXURE-C AND TO
RECEIVE THE APPLICATION ON RECORD, AND CONSIDER
PETITIONER NO.2 FOR AN APPOINTMENT ON COMPASSIONATE
GROUNDS IMMEDIATELY UPON HER ATTAINING THE AGE OF
18 YEARS; III) PASS SUCH OTHER ORDERS AS THIS
HONOURABLE COURT DEEMS FIT IN THE INTEREST OF
JUSTICE AND EQUITY.
THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING
'B' GROUP, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

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NC: 2026:KHC-K:11689
WP No. 204104 of 2026


CNR: KAHC030105332026


CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VIJAYKUMAR A. PATIL

ORAL ORDER
This petition is filed seeking the following prayers:
“ i) Issue a Writ of Certiorari or any other
appropriate writ, order, or direction, quashing
the Rejection Endorsement ANNEXURE-D
SMA:KKRTC:RAAVI:SIBANDI:ANNE:463:2024-
25, dated 18.02.2025 issued by Respondent
No.4 as unjust, arbitrary, and violative of
article 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India.
ii) Issue a Writ of Mandamus directing the
Respondents to condone the minor delay of 6
months 26 days in submitting the
Representation, Annexure-C and to receive the
application on record, and consider Petitioner
No.2 for an appointment on compassionate
grounds immediately upon her attaining the
age of 18 years.
iii) Pass such other orders as this Hon’ble
Court deems fit in the interest of justice and
equity.”


2. Heard Sri.Amarnath, learned counsel appearing
for the petitioner, Sri.Shivakumar Tengli, learned
Additional Government Advocate, Sri.Deepak V. Barad,
learned counsel appearing for respondent Nos.2 & 5 and
meticulously perused the material available on record.

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3. Petitioner No.1 is the wife and petitioner No.2 is
the daughter of late Mohammed Zakariya, who was
working as a driver with respondent-Corporation. The said
Mohammed Zakariya died on 01.07.2023 during his
service, leaving behind petitioner No.1, his wife, and
petitioner No.2, his minor daughter as his dependents.
Petitioner No.1 submitted a representation dated
27.01.2025 to the respondent-Corporation seeking
appointment on compassionate grounds, stating that she
is illiterate and petitioner No.2 is a minor. The respondent-
Corporation, under the impugned endorsement dated
18.02.2025, rejected the said representation on the
ground that petitioner No.2 is a minor, aged about 14
years and that the application has been submitted beyond
the stipulated time.


4. It is to be noticed that petitioner No.1 has
sought appointment on compassionate grounds to
petitioner No.2, who is admittedly a minor as on this day.
In this regard, it would be useful to extract the relevant

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WP No. 204104 of 2026


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provision of the Karnataka State Road Transport
Corporation (Appointment on Compassionate Basis) Policy,
2018. Clause 5 of the said Policy reads as under:
“V
£ÉêÀÄPÁwUÁV Cfð ¸À°èPÉ

II, III, IV
F ¤ÃwAiÀÄ PÀæªÀiÁAPÀ gÀ°è ¤¢ðµÀÖ¥Àr¹zÀ
CºÀðvÉAiÀÄ£ÀÄß ¥ÀÇgÀʹzÀ ªÀÄÈvÁªÀ®A©vÀgÀÄ £ËPÀgÀgÀÄ ªÀÄgÀt
ºÉÆA¢zÀ MAzÀÄ ªÀµÀðzÀ CªÀ¢üAiÉƼÀUÁV ªÀÄÈvÀ £ËPÀgÀgÀÄ ¸ÉêÉ
¸À°è¸ÀÄwÛzÀÝ PÁAiÀÄð¸ÀܼÀªÀÅ AiÀiÁªÀ «¨sÁUÀzÀ ªÁå¦ÛUÉƼÀ¥ÀqÀĪÀÅzÉÆÃ
CAvÀºÀ «¨sÁUÀzÀ «¨sÁVÃAiÀÄ ªÀÄÄRå¸ÀÜjUÀÉ Cfð ¸À°è¸ÀĪÀÅzÀÄ. MAzÀÄ
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«¨sÁUÀzÀ°è GzÉÆåÃUÀ ¥ÀqÉAiÀÄ®Ä §AiÀĸÀÄvÁÛgÉÆà JA§ÄzÀ£ÀÄß
CfðAiÀÄ°è w½¸ÀvÀPÀÌzÀÄÝ.

£ËPÀgÀgÀÄ ªÀÄgÀt ºÉÆA¢zÀ MAzÀÄ ªÀµÀðzÉƼÀUÁV
ªÀÄÈvÁªÀ®A©vÀgÀÄ Cfð ¸À°è¸ÀvÀPÀÌzÀÄÝ. «¥sÀ®gÁzÀ°è CªÀgÀÄ GzÉÆåÃUÀ
¥ÀqÉAiÀÄĪÀ CªÀPÁ±ÀªÀ£ÀÄß ±Á±ÀévÀªÁV PÀ¼ÀÉzÀÄPÉƼÀÄîªÀgÀÄ.

MAzÀÄ ªÉüÀÉ ¸ÀA¸ÉÜAiÀÄ £ËPÀgÀgÀÄ ªÀÄgÀt ºÉÆA¢zÁUÀ CªÀgÀ
C¥Áæ¥ÀÛ CªÀ®A©vÀgÀÄ (18 ªÀµÀðQÌAvÀ PÀrªÉÄ ªÀAiÀĹì£À) GzÉÆåÃUÀ
PÉÆÃjzÀ°è, C¥Áæ¥ÀÛ CªÀ®A©vÀgÀÄ 18 ªÀµÀð vÀÄA©zÁUÀ CªÀgÀÄ
ºÉÆA¢zÀ «zÁåºÀðvÉUÀÉ C£ÀÄUÀÄtªÁV ¤UÀªÀÄzÀ°è£À eÁjAiÀÄ°ègÀĪÀ
¤AiÀĪÀiÁ£ÀĸÁgÀ ®¨sÀå SÁ° ºÀÄzÉÝUÀ½UÀÉ ªÀiÁvÀæ £ÉêÀÄPÁwUÀÉ
¥ÀjUÀt¸ÀĪÀÅzÀÄ. F ¸ÀA§AzsÀ 18 ªÀµÀð vÀÄA©zÀ MAzÀÄ
ªÀµÀðzÉƼÀUÁV ªÀÄÈvÁªÀ®A©vÀgÀÄ CªÀgÀÄ ºÉÆA¢zÀ «zÁåºÀðvÉ
«ªÀgÀUÀ¼ÉÆA¢UÀÉ ªÀÄ£É: ªÀÄvÉÆÛAzÀÄ CfðAiÀÄ£ÀÄß ¤ÃqÀĪÀÅzÀÄ. ¸ÀzÀj
MAzÀÄ ªÀµÀðzÀ CªÀ¢üAiÀÄ°è ªÀÄÈvÁªÀ®A©vÀgÀÄ Cfð ¸À°è¸À¢zÀÝ°è
CªÀgÀÄ GzÉÆåÃUÀ ¥ÀqÉAiÀÄĪÀ CªÀPÁ±ÀªÀ£ÀÄß ±Á±ÀévÀªÁV
PÀ¼ÀÉzÀÄPÉƼÀÄîªÀgÀÄ.”


5. The aforesaid extracted clause makes it very
clear that the dependents of a deceased employee are
required to submit an application within one year from the
date of death of the employee or in case the dependent is

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WP No. 204104 of 2026


CNR: KAHC030105332026


a minor, under such circumstance, the application may be
submitted within one year from the date on which he or
she attains the age of majority. In the case on hand, the
respondent-Corporation has understood the policy
incorrectly and rejected the application.


6. It is open for petitioner No.2 to submit an
application seeking appointment on compassionate
grounds within one year from the date of her attaining the
age of majority. If such application is submitted by
petitioner No.2, the respondent-Corporation shall consider
the same. Keeping in mind the aforesaid policy and
observations made by this Court, I proceed to pass the
following:
ORDER
allowed
i. The writ petition is .
ii. The impugned endorsement dated
18.02.2025 is hereby set aside.

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HC-KAR
NC: 2026:KHC-K:11689
WP No. 204104 of 2026


CNR: KAHC030105332026


iii. Petitioner No.2 is granted liberty to
submit an application within one year from
the date of attaining majority.
iv. If such an application is filed, the
respondent-Corporation is directed to
consider the same in accordance with law
and pass order.
No order as to costs.


Sd/-
(VIJAYKUMAR A. PATIL)
JUDGE


ABK
List No.: 1 Sl No.: 5