'No Public Interest, Should Not Engage Judicial Time': Karnataka High Court Rejects PIL Seeking Change Of Ward Name, Imposes ₹5K Cost

The Karnataka High Court dismissed a PIL seeking change of name of Beereshwaranagara Ward to Chunchaghatta, observing that no public interest had arisen in the matter nor were any fundamental rights of the petitioners violated.

The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation petition challenging a notification dated 19.11.2025 passed by respondent No.3–Under Secretary of State's Urban Development Department with regard to Ward No.43 known as 'Beereshwaranagara' Ward in Bengaluru. The petitioners, who were residents of the area, had sought that the ward be renamed as 'Chunchaghatta'.

A division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Poonacha observed that no fundamental rights of the petitioners or anybody was violated in naming the ward as Beereshwaranagara, and petitioners' opinion or a though that they may have cannot be termed as public interest litigation.

"First of all, we find that no fundamental rights of the petitioners or any other person are violated by naming the ward as Beereshwaranagara. Whereas, the petitioners may be of the opinion that the ward in question should be named as Chunchaghatta Ward, clearly, this is not a cause which should engage the judicial time of this Court. Any opinion that the petitioners may have or any thought that may pass through their mind cannot be transcribed into a public interest litigation. This is an unjustifiable imposition on judicial time".

The court thus dismissed the petition imposing costs of Rs. 5,000 on the petitioners. It directed that the same shall be paid to the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority within two weeks.

Case title: SRI RENUKA YALLAMMA TEMPLE TRUST & OTHERS v/s THE STATE OF KARNATAKA & OTHERS

WRIT PETITION NO. 2923 OF 2026

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