SRI CHETHAN S vs THE KARNATAKA POWER TRANSMISSION CORPORATION LIMITED

Court
Karnataka High Court
Decided on
09-03-2026

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

TH
DATED THIS THE 9 DAY OF MARCH, 2026
®

PRESENT

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH

AND

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE T.M.NADAF

WRIT APPEAL NO.2 OF 2025 (S-RES)

BETWEEN:

1. SRI CHETHAN S
S/O SHANKARAPPA M
AGED ABOUT 37 YEARS,
ASSISTANT ENGINEER (ELE)
WHITEFIELD O & M UNIT
E4 SUB-DIVISION,
WHITEFIELD DIVISION, BESCOM
BANGALORE-560066.

ALSO AT:

SRI. VARI NILAYA, 5TH CROSS
KSVK, SCHOOL ROAD, DHANAMANDE,
VINAYAKANAGARA, WHITEFIELD,
BANGALORE-560066.
…APPELLANT
(BY SRI. D.R.RAVI SHANKAR, SENIOR ADVOCATE FOR
SMT. SIRI RAJASHEKAR., ADVOCATE)

AND:

1. THE KARNATAKA POWER TRANSMISSION
CORPORATION LIMITED
KAVERI BHAVAN/ K.G.ROAD,
BANGALORE-560001.
REPT. BY ITS MANAGING DIRECTOR












Digitally
signed by
VASANTHA
KUMARY B
K
Location:
HIGH
COURT OF
KARNATAKA

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2. THE KARNATAKA POWER TRANSMISSION
CORPORATION LIMITED
KAVERI BHAVAN/ K.G.ROAD,
BANGALORE-560001.
REPT. BY ITS DIRECTOR (A) AND (HR)

3. BANGALORE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY
CORPORATION LIMITED.
REP BY ITS GENERAL MANAGER (ADMIN HR)
CORPORATE OFFICE, BESCOM,
BANGALORE-560001.

4. SRI. SOMASHEKAR HP
S/O PUTTEGOWDA
AGED ABOUT 34 YEARS,
WORKING AS ASSISTANT ENGINEER,
VARTHUR O & M UNIT, BESCOM
BANGALORE-560087.

5. NAVEEN D
S/O SRI. DEVENDRAPPA AG
AGED ABOUT 39 YEARS
ASSISTANT ENGINEER (ELE)
ANEKAL-562106.
…RESPONDENTS
(BY SRI. CHANDRACHUD A.,ADVOCATE FOR R1 TO R3
SRI K. PUTTEGOWDA ADVOCATE FOR R4
SRI N.B. NIJALINGAPPA FOR C/R5)

THIS WRIT APPEAL IS FILED U/S 4 OF THE KARNATAKA
HIGH COURT ACT PRAYING TO SET ASIDE THE ORDER DATED
09.09.2024 PASSED BY THE LEARNED SINGLE JUDGE IN WP
No.21759/2024 (S-RES).

THIS APPEAL, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY,
JUDGMENT WAS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH
and
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE T.M.NADAF

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ORAL JUDGMENT
(PER: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH)

The present intra Court appeal has been filed
impugning the judgment and order dated 09.09.2024
passed by the learned Single Judge in W.P.No.21759/2024
(S-RES) filed by the appellant.

2. This Court vide interim order dated 15.12.2025 had
granted a status quo as on the date in respect of posting
and transfer of the appellant to be maintained. The
present transfer season would be over in the month of
March and new transfer season will commence in the
month of April. Therefore, we direct the respondents not
to disturb the present place of posting of the appellant till
the next session of transfer/fresh order of transfer is
issued in the next session.

3. We make it clear that the respondents will be at
liberty to effect transfer and posting of the appellant in
accordance with the Transfer Rules and Policy.

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4. The next issue is the observation made by the
learned Single Judge at paragraph Nos.22 and 23 of the
impugned judgment and order dated 09.09.2024, which
are extracted hereunder:-

" 22. Before parting, it is pertinent to mention that
this Court has come across several
letters/orders/approvals issued by the office of the
Hon'ble Chief Minister either transferring group 'B' or
'C' employees thereby undoing the orders of
transfers issued by the Official Superiors of such
employees. Even in the present case too, the
petitioner has managed to obtain the approval from
the office of the Hon'ble Chief Minister directing the
Hon'ble Minister in-charge to accept the request of
mutual transfer, though the same did not emanate
from the office of respondent Nos. 1 and 2.
Therefore, this generates a doubt as to whether the
Hon'ble Chief Minister is aware of the kind of
orders/approvals obtained from his office. It also
gives raise to a suspicion that someone sitting in the
office of the Hon'ble Chief Minister is mechanically
issuing such orders/approvals giving raise to heart
burn amongst employees and consequent litigation
before this Court.

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23. As a matter of fact, the petitioner in this writ
petition has filed two writ petitions in the past and
three writ petitions challenging his transfer. He has
piggy ridden on the back of the orders passed by the
Hon'ble Chief Minister approving his request for
mutual transfer and has protracted the order of
transfer from the year 2022 to 2024. Therefore, the
Registrar General, is directed to place this order
before the Chief Secretary to the Government of
Karnataka to bring it to the notice of the Hon'ble
Chief Minister so that the persons concerning are
sensitized not to casually issue letters of transferring
or posting or retransferring officials thereby belittling
the orders issued by the competent officers of the
concerned department."

5. This Court vide order dated 24.02.2026 directed the
Chief Secretary of the State to make the stand of the
Government clear in unambiguous terms in respect of the
paragraph Nos.22 and 23 of the impugned judgment dated
09.09.2024.

6. In compliance of the order dated 24.02.2026, the
Chief Secretary of the State has filed an affidavit
03.03.2026 stating therein that the notes received from

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the Office of the Chief Minister are only recommendatory
in nature and not transfer orders or approval for transfers.
It is for the concerned department to scrutinize such
recommendations based on the respective Cadre and
Recruitment Rules and General Transfer Guidelines issued
by the Department of Personnel and Administrative
Reforms (for short 'the DPAR' ). Even in the present
case, the recommendation/the notes received from the
Office of the Chief Minister for mutual transfer was
recommendatory in nature and it was not an order of
mutual transfer. It has been further stated that the
observation at paragraph 23 of the impugned judgment
dated 09.09.2024 has been brought to the notice of the
Hon'ble Chief Minister, and the Office Staff/Officers in the
Hon'ble Chief Minister's associated with handling of such
transfer requests have been specifically sensitised
regarding the observations made and concerns expressed
by the learned Single Judge.

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7. It is further stated that the
recommendation/requests for the transfers of the
Government officials are being dealt with in the concerned
administrative departments and after careful examination
as per the provisions of the transfer guidelines issued by
the State Government and with the approval of the
competent authority on the file, the transfer orders are
being issued by the administrative department.

8. We are of the considered view that the transfers and
postings of the employees should be left to the concerned
administrative departments and the highest authority of
the State should not devote his time in such matters nor
should interfere with the transfers and postings of the
employees working within the government and the
government undertakings.

9. We are therefore, of the opinion that no request for
transfer and posting should be entertained by the Office of
the Hon'ble Chief Minister directly. The matter should end

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at the level of the department itself. Hon'ble Chief
Minister has better and more important work to perform
than interfering with the transfers and postings of the
employees of the State Government and Government
undertakings.

10. A copy of this order is to be placed before the
Hon'ble Chief Minister for necessary direction to his office.

11. With the above said observation and direction the
present writ appeal stands disposed of.

12. In view disposal of the appeal, pending interim
applications, if any, do not survive for consideration,
hence stand disposed of.
Sd/-
(D K SINGH)
JUDGE

Sd/-
(T.M.NADAF)
JUDGE


NG
CT:SN
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