Karnataka HC Dismisses Lokayukta’s Challenge To Tribunal’s Quashing Of Group-D Forest Employee’s Disciplinary Action After Unexplained 2½-Year Delay

Respondent No. 1 challenged before the Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal an order dated 21 September 2017 and articles of charge dated 16 November 2017.

On 14 June 2021, the Tribunal allowed his application and quashed the challenged orders.

The Karnataka Lokayukta and its Additional Registrar filed this writ petition under Articles 226 and 227 on 13 February 2024, seeking to quash the Tribunal’s order.

The High Court noted that the petitioners had not explained the delay of more than two and a half years in filing the petition.

Under the doctrine of delay and laches, a court exercising its extraordinary and equitable writ jurisdiction must assess the explanation for delay and may refuse relief where an applicant approaches the court belatedly without adequate reason; delay may also prejudice others and undermine settled rights (*Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board v. T.T. Murali Babu*, (2014) 4 SCC 108, paras 16–17, quoted at pp.4–6).

The Court also relied on *Shivamma (Dead) by LRs v. Karnataka Housing Board*, 2025 SCC OnLine SC 1969, and *Union of India v. Simon Topno*, SLP (C) Diary No. 64341/2021, order dated 15 December 2025, for the principle that State instrumentalities are not entitled to extra leniency for delay attributable to official lethargy or negligence.

The Tribunal’s order was made on 14 June 2021, but the petitioners filed their writ petition only on 13 February 2024.

The memorandum of petition offered no explanation for that delay.

Applying the cited principles, the Court held that the petitioners had not shown sufficient cause and that the unexplained delay did not warrant indulgence, particularly given that they were State instrumentalities.

The Court therefore dismissed the petition on delay and laches grounds without examining the merits of the challenge to the Tribunal’s decision.

Pending interlocutory applications, if any, were disposed of as no longer requiring consideration.