Dr. Jyothi M. R., v. The State of Karnataka,

, -,1,-,,,,, , , ((((((((((((HC-KAR, NC:(2026:KHC:42680-DB( CCC(No.1181(of(2025( ( ,,,,,,,,,, , CNR:(KAHC010600312025( ( (

IN(THE(HIGH(COURT(OF(KARNATAKA(AT(BENGALURU(

THDATED(THIS(THE(12 (DAY(OF(AUGUST,(2026(

PRESENT(

THE(HON'BLE(MR.(JUSTICE(JAYANT(BANERJI(

AND((

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

CIVIL(CONTEMPT(PETITION(NO.1181(OF(2025(( ( BETWEEN:(( (

1., DR.JYOTHI,M.R,,

D/O,RAMU,,, AGED,ABOUT,42,YEARS,,, WORKING,AS,ASSISTANT,PROFESSOR,,, DEPARTMENT,OF,CIVIL,ENGINEERING,,, RAMAIAH,INSTITUTE,OF,ENGINEERING,,,

MSRIT,POST,,BENGALURU-560,054,, R/AT:,NO.44,,FLAT,NO.201,,, STMSNR,GRAND,,1 ,CROSS,,, MANORAYANA,PALYA,,R.T.NAGAR,POST,,, BENGALURU-560,032., ,

2., DR.H.U.RAGHAVENDRA,, S/O,H.A.UTHAPPA,,, AGED,ABOUT,42,YEARS,,,Digitally signedtiby0K0S ASSISTANT,PROFESSOR,,, RENUKAMBA WORKING,IN,CIVIL,ENGINEERING,DEPARTMENT,,,

Location: M.S.RAMAIAH,INSTITUTE,OF,TECHNOLOGY,, High0Courttiof BENGALURU-560,054., Karnataka R/AT:,C/O,H.A.UTHAPPA,,, #162/1,,SUVARNANAGAR,,, DODDABIDARAKALLU,LAYOUT,,, NAGASANDRA,POST,,, BENGALURU-560,073., ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,…COMPLAINANTS, (BY,SRI.RANGANATHA,S.,JOIS,,ADVOCATE), , -,2,-,,,,, , , ((((((((((((HC-KAR, NC:(2026:KHC:42680-DB( CCC(No.1181(of(2025( ( ,,,,,,,,,, , CNR:(KAHC010600312025( ( ( AND:( (

1., THE,STATE,OF,KARNATAKA,, REP.,BY,PRINCIPAL,SECRETARY,,, HIGHER,EDUCATION,DEPARTMENT,,, M,S,BUILDING,,DR.AMBEDKAR,ROAD,,, BENGALURU,,KARNATAKA-560,001.,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,…PROFORMA,RESPONDENT,

2., SRI.,PRASANNA.H,,IAS,, DIRECTOR,,, DEPARTMENT,OF,TECHNICAL,EDUCATION,,, GOVERNMENT,OF,KARNATAKA,,, 1,,PALACE,ROAD,,AMBEDKAR,VEEDHI,,, SAMPANGI,RAMA,NAGARA,,, BENGALURU,,KARNATAKA-560,001,

3., DR.,N.V.R.,NAIDU,, PRINCIPAL,,, M.S.RAMAIAH,INSTITUTE,OF,TECHNOLOGY,,, GOKULA,EDUCATION,FOUNDATION,,, MSR,NAGAR,,MSRIT,POST,,, BENGALURU,,KARNATAKA-560,054., ,

4., SRI.,M.R.ANANDARAM,, SECRETARY,,, M.S.RAMAIAH,INSTITUTE,OF,TECHNOLOGY,,, GOKULA,EDUCATION,FOUNDATION,,, MSR,NAGAR,,MSRIT,POST,,, BENGALURU,,KARNATAKA-560,054., ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,…ACCUSED, , (BY,SMT.SUKANYA,BALIGA,,AGA,FOR,PROFORMA,RESPONDENT,&,A2:, ,,,,,,SRI.H.N.NARENDRA,DEV,,ADVOCATE,FOR,A3,&,A4), , , THIS,CIVIL,COMPTEMPT,PETITION,,IS,FILED,UNDER,SECTIONS, 11, AND, 12, OF, THE, , CONTEMPT, OF, COURTS, ACT,, READ, WITH, ARTICLE, 215, OF, THE, CONSTITUTION, OF, INDIA, BY, THE, COMPLAINANTS, PRAYING, TO, INITIATE, APPROPRIATE, ACTION, AGAINST, THE, ACCUSED, FOR, THE, WILLFUL, DISOBEDIENCE, AND, CONTEMPT, OF, THE, ORDERS, DATED, 24.07.2025, IN, W.P.NO.30750/2024, (S-RES), AND, W.P.NO.30739/2024, (S-RES), VIDE, ANNEXURE-B, AND, THEREBY, CAUSE, THE, EFFECTIVE, IMPLEMENTATION,AND,UPHOLD,THE,DIGNITY,AND,MAJESTY,OF,LAW, AND,THEREBY,ENABLING,THE,COMPLAINANTS,TO,REINSTATE,INTO, SERVICE,AND,TO,EXTEND,ALL,THE,CONSEQUENTIAL,BENEFITS.,

THIS CIVIL CONTEMPT PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JAYANT BANERJI HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE T.M.NADAF

ORAL ORDER

(PER: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JAYANT BANERJI)

Heard learned Counsel for the complainants, learned Counsel appearing for accused Nos.3 and 4 and learned Additional Government Advocate appearing for proforma respondent and accused No.2.

¶2This contempt petition is filed seeking the following reliefs:

(a) Initiate appropriate action against the Respondent/Accused for the willful disobedience and contempt of the orders dated 24.07.2025 in W.P.No.30750/2024 and W.P.30739/2024(S-Res) vide Annexure-B and thereby cause the effective implementation and uphold the dignity and majesty of law and thereby enabling the complainants to reinstate into service and to extend all the consequential benefits;

(b) Pass such other order or orders as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and necessary in the circumstances of the case.

¶3The operative part of the common order dated

24.07.2025 is as follows: "ORDER

(i) Writ Petition Nos.24786/2024 and 25511/2024 filed by the petitioners do not survive a consideration in view of their termination from service. However, they are at liberty to escalate their grievance before the AICTE or the Grievance Redressal Committee, if constituted by MSRIT.

(ii) Writ Petition Nos.30750/2024 and 30739/2024 are allowed and the orders of termination of the petitioners are set aside.

(iii) MSRIT is directed to reinstate the petitioners into service and if it desires to terminate or retrench the petitioners, it shall follow the due process as prescribed under Sections 98 and 99 of the Karnataka Education Act, 1983. In that event, the Director of Technical Education shall hear the petitioners and pass appropriate orders.

(iv) It is needless to mention that the petitioners shall be entitled to consequential benefits such as pay, allowance and other perquisites as they are entitled to."

¶4It is evident that W.P.No.30750/2024 W.P.No.30739/2024 were allowed and the orders of termination of the petitioners/complainants were set aside. Moreover, a direction was issued to respondent No.6/M.S.Ramaiah Institute of Technology1 to reinstate the petitioners into service, leaving

1 MSRIT

it open to terminate or retrench the petitioners after following due process.

¶5On record of the contempt petition at Annexures-F and G are orders of 28.08.2025 passed by the Principal of MSRIT, ordering the reinstatement of the complainants into service in the role of Assistant Professor with effect from

21.08.2025 and that they would be paid salary and all other amounts lawfully payable to them as per applicable rules and regulations. However, it is mentioned that in view of the recommendatory norms of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) regarding the faculty student ratio, given the number of students, there is no workload currently available for allocation to them. Therefore, until further notice they were directed to work from home.

¶6Learned Counsel for the complainants states that the spirit of the order of the Writ Court dated 24.07.2025 is not being complied with. It is stated that the complainants though have been reinstated, are not being allowed to work which defeats the very purpose of the order passed by the Writ Court.

¶7Learned Counsel appearing for accused Nos.3 and 4 states that due compliance of the order of the Writ Court dated

24.07.2025 has been done.

¶8In our considered opinion, the order of the Writ Court, non compliance of which is alleged, has been complied with. The two complainants who are admittedly the petitioners in W.P.No.30750/2024 W.P.No.30739/2024 were reinstated into service. What the complainants seek to agitate may be a further cause of action but would certainly not be a cause to agitate before this Court the non-compliance of the order of the Writ Court that would entitle maintaining this petition for contempt. For the reasons aforesaid, the accused are discharged and the contempt petition is consigned.

Sd/- (JAYANT BANERJI) JUDGE

Sd/- (T.M.NADAF) JUDGE KSR List No.: 1 Sl No.: 12