Karnataka High Court's Justice Suraj Govindaraj Recuses From Hearing Challenge To Gig Workers Welfare Act

Justice Suraj Govindaraj of Karnataka High Court has on June 7 [Wednesday] recused from hearing a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025, and the Rules framed thereunder, stating a potential conflict of interest since the petition was filed through IndusLaw Law Firm.While hearing the challenge which contends that the State legislation is repugnant to the Code on Social Security, 2020 enacted by the Union...

Sole Proprietor Who Personally Executes Work Covered Under Employees' Compensation Act: Karnataka High Court Holds Insurer Liable

Allowing an appeal filed by the dependents of a deceased sole proprietor, Karnataka High Court has recently held that a proprietor who personally undertakes a hazardous work cannot be denied compensation by reasoning that he is a business owner who wouldn't fall within the definition of 'workman' under the Employees' Compensation Act, 1923. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 225]The Division Bench of...

2016 Yogesh Goudar Murder Case: CBI Tells Karnataka High Court Dharwad Trial Was 'Hogwash', Witnesses Were Tutored By Ex-MLA Vinay Kulkarni

The CBI told the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday that former Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni, while challenging his conviction and life sentence in 2016 murder of BJP Zilla Panchayat member Yogesh Goudar, cannot rely on evidence placed before the Dharwad trial court as that trial was 'hogwash' in which witnesses were tutored by Kulkarni.The court was hearing criminal appeals filed by former...

School's Duty Of Care Extends To Children Travelling In School Bus: Karnataka High Court Refuses To Quash FIR Over Child's Permanent Eye Injury

The Karnataka High Court has recently refused to quash a criminal case registered against a private school after a 4th standard student lost vision in one eye and suffered 40% permanent disability when coloured confetti was allegedly sprayed into his eyes by other students inside a school bus. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 225]While noting that the school bus is an extension of the school itself,...

Lease Of Kunigul Stud Farm To Bangalore Turf Club Challenged In Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has sought the responses of the Union and the State Governments on a public interest litigation challenging the State government's decision to lease a portion of the historic Kunigal Stud Farm in Tumakuru district to the Bangalore Turf Club for establishing a racecourse, contending that the move threatens a heritage equine establishment and an ecologically significant landscape.A Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice KS Hemalekha heard the matter.The...

NLSIU Attendance Row: Karnataka High Court Declines Interim Relief To Students Facing Year-Loss, Suggests Them To Approach Bar Council

The Karnataka High Court today [June 30] heard a batch of writ petitions filed by students of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, challenging the university's decision to impose year-loss and compulsory re-admission penalties for attendance shortages. Before the single judge bench of Justice Ashok S Kinagi, the petitioners argued that the university's enforcement...

LiveLaw Karnataka High Court Weekly Round-Up: June 22 - June 28, 2026

Citations: 2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 211 to 2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 219Nominal IndexK.G. RAJANNA v/s STATE OF KARNATAKA AND ANOTHER, 2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 211Ningaraj Gulappa V/S State and Connected Matters, 2026 LiveLaw(Kar) 212M/S.VINP DISTILLERIES AND SUGARS PVT. LTD V. UNION OF INDIA & ORS, 2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 213NEW SPACE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGIES PVT. LTD v. MR. PRABHAT SHARMA & ORS., 2026...

'You'll Change Whole Character Of Region': Karnataka High Court Questions Conversion Of Coffee Plantation Lands

The Karnataka High Court on Monday (June 29) expressed reservations over treating coffee plantation lands in Kodagu at par with ordinary agricultural lands for the purpose of conversion under Section 95 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964, orally observing that such an approach could alter the ecological and geographical character of Kodagu.The division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakru...

'National Security Endangered': Karnataka High Court Upholds FIR Against Travel Agent Accused Of Aiding Passport Renewal For Terror Suspect

Remarking that anyone who 'acts against the interest of the Nation must be brought to book', Karnataka High Court refused to quash criminal proceedings against a travel agent accused of facilitating the renewal of passports, including that of a person wanted by the Andhra Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad for alleged terror activities. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 224]The allegations against the agent are...

Karnataka High Court Upholds Penalty Under RTI Act, Says Successor Officer Can't Blame Predecessor For Pending Matters

The Karnataka High Court has recently dismissed a plea by the Secretary of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), challenging the imposition of a Rs 25,000 penalty and directions for disciplinary proceedings against him by the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) for failure to furnish information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 223]The single judge...

Can Single Women Below 35 Undergo Surrogacy? Karnataka High Court Seeks Centre's Reply, Declines Interim Relief To 32-Year-Old

The Karnataka High Court on Monday [June 29] issued notice to the Union of India and the State government on a writ petition challenging the constitutional validity of Section 2(1)(s) of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, insofar as it restricts single women below the age of 35 from availing the benefit of surrogacy.For context, Section 2(1)(s) defines an “intending woman” which means...

Financially Independent Wife Earning More Than Husband Can't Claim Maintenance Merely Because She Is A Woman: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court, while setting aside a trial court's direction to a husband to pay Rs 20,000 interim maintenance to his wife, has held that a wife who earns considerably more than her husband cannot claim maintenance from him, especially when she has no other obligations or liabilities to discharge. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 222]The single judge bench of Justice Dr. Chillakur Sumalatha...