Karnataka High Court
WP/24501/2026 of MRS. SUJATHA UMESH Vs STATE OF KARNATAKA on 19 August 2026
CNR: KAHC010544502026 NC: 2026:KHC:44628-DB WP No. 24501 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 19TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2026 PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE K.S. HEMALEKHA WRIT PETITION NO. 24501 OF 2026 (GM-MM_S)
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU
DATED THIS THE 19TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2026
PRESENT
THE HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE
AND
THE HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE K.S. HEMALEKHA
WRIT PETITION NO. 24501 OF 2026 (GM-MM_S)
BETWEEN:
1.
MRS. SUJATHA UMESH
C/O UMESH
AGED ABOUT 51 YEARS
R/AT 269, 2ND CROSS ROAD
UPKAR RESIDENCY
NEAR ULLAL RTO
BANGALORE NORTH
KARNATAKA - 560 091
…PETITIONER
(BY SRI. PRATHEEK R. SHETTY, ADVOCATE)
AND:
1.
STATE OF KARNATAKA
REP. BY ITS CHIEF SECRETARY
M.S. BUILDING
DR. AMBEDKAR ROAD
BENGALURU - 560 001
2.
DIRECTOR OF MINES AND GEOLOGY
DEPARTMENT MINES AND GEOLOGY
49, KHANJIA BHAVAN
RACE COURSE ROAD
BENGALURU - 560 001
Digitally
signed by
AMBIKA H B
Location:
High Court
of Karnataka
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3.
THE JOINT DIRECTOR
DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND GEOLOGY
1 'D' CROSS, I BLOCK
RAMAKRISHNA NAGAR (DATTAGALLI)
SOUTHERN ZONE
MYSURU - 570 022
4.
SENIOR GEOLOGIST
DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND GEOLOGY
KHANIJA BHAVAN
BESIDE DISTRICT COLLECTOR OFFICE
NEAR ZILLA PANCHAYATH
K.M.ROAD, JYOTHI NAGAR
CHIKKAMAGALURU
KARNATAKA - 577 102
…RESPONDENTS
(BY SRI K.S.HARISH, GOVERNMENT ADVOCATE)
THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND
227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO ISSUE A WRIT
IN THE NATURE OF MANDAMUS COMMANDING THE RESPONDENT
No. 4 TO CONSIDER THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PETITIONER
DATED 20.01.2025 (ANNEXURE-A), SEEKING THE BENEFIT OF
DEEMED EXTENSION FOR A PERIOD OF THIRTY YEARS UNDER
SUB-RUE(2) OF RULE 8-A OF THE KARNATAKA MINOR MINERAL
CONCESSION
(AMENDMENT)
RULES,
AND
PASS
APPROPRIATE ORDERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW AND ETC.
THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR FINAL HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE
and
HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE K.S. HEMALEKHA
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ORAL ORDER
(PER: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE)
1. Issue notice. The learned Government Advocate accepts notice for the respondents.
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2. The petitioner has filed the present petition, inter alia, praying that directions be issued to respondent No.4 (Senior Geologist) to consider his representation dated 20.01.2025 seeking the benefit of deemed extension for a further period of 10 years under Sub-rule
(2) of Rule 8A of the Karnataka Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1994 [KMMC Rules] and pass appropriate orders.
3. Sub-rule (2) of Rule 8A of the KMMC Rules provides for the deemed extension of the lease or licence for a period of 30 years for non-specified minor minerals and 50 years for specified minor minerals subject to (i) establishment of mineral availability and workability of the quarry; and (ii) all terms and conditions of lease or licences having been complied with by the licensee.
4. In the present case, it is alleged that the petitioner is engaged in illegal quarrying and has extracted and transported 64,221 metric ton of building stone without paying royalty. The said allegation is premised on a report submitted by the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre, Bengaluru. It is alleged that the petitioner has excavated 1,39,729 metric tons of building stone.
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However, the DCB register indicates that only 75,508 metric tons had been transported by payment of royalty.
5. Respondent No.4 has issued a notice under Rule 44A of the KMMC Rules and called upon the petitioner to pay the amount of penalty of `30,77,558/- within a period of 180 days from the receipt of the said notice.
6. The learned Government Advocate submits that if the petitioner complies with the said notice − which is in the nature of opportunity to compound the illegal extraction and transportation of building stone − the petitioner's application for deemed extension would be considered without reference to the prior offence of illegal mining.
7. Since the said issue is outstanding, we consider it apposite to dispose of the present petition by directing the respondents to consider the petitioner's representation, subject to the conclusion of the issue regarding illegal mining.
8. In view of the statement made by the learned Government Advocate, we direct that in the event the petitioner complies with
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the demand of penalty as set out in the notice dated 13.05.2026, the allegation of illegal mining would not impede the consideration of the petitioner's application for deemed extension favourably.
9. The petition is disposed of in the aforesaid terms.
Sd/- (VIBHU BAKHRU) CHIEF JUSTICE
Sd/- (K.S. HEMALEKHA) JUDGE
AHB List No.: 2 Sl No.: 6