BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court stayed the suspension of an Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of Ballari City Corporation, who was suspended for the removal of the banner of the husband of the corporation at Sangam Circle, a prohibited area, in Ballari.
“This would be a classic case of abuse of power by the disciplinary authority to place an officer under suspension who has only removed the banner that was erected in a prohibited area. Therefore, the order of suspension, which is on the face of it mala fide and a product of abuse of power, will not be permitted to stand. The impugned order of suspension shall remain stayed till the next date”, said Justice M Nagaprasanna, who passed the interim order after hearing the petition filed by AEE Munaph Patel Kahadar Patel (Environment) questioning his suspension order dated October 9, 2025, passed by the Secretary of the Urban Development Department.
“Only because the banner was of the husband of the corporator, an axe of suspension has fallen on the petitioner. The petitioner, who has only performed his duty in accordance with the law, is now facing the ire of suspension only because it is the political masters who are dictating such orders of suspension, albeit prima facie. It further shocks that the Commissioner of the corporation, who was a signatory to the resolution of the Corporation, recommends that the petitioner should be placed under suspension and the Secretary of Urban Development has passed an order of suspension on the said score”, the court observed.
Issuing notice to the Deputy Commissioner, Commissioner of Ballari City Corporation and the Urban Development Department, the court said that the petitioner was placed under suspension for the reason that he had removed the banners that were placed in Sangam Circle. The banner is said to be that of the husband of the corporator of the area.
The counsel for the petitioner takes this court through a resolution of the corporation that no banner or advertisement of any kind should be placed in the circle. The resolution of the corporation clearly prohibits a banner, cutout, or any kind of advertisement from being displayed in Sangam Circle, and if displayed, would be in violation of the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1981. The petitioner or the officers of the corporation have now removed the banners that were erected in Sangam Circle, on the ground that it is contrary to the resolution and is in the prohibited area, the court added.
Further hearing was adjourned to December 2, 2025.