Karnataka High Court stays suspension of AEE after he removed illegal banners of husband of councillor of Ballari City Corporation

The High Court of Karnataka has stayed the suspension of an Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of Ballari City Corporation (BCC) aft helium had removed the banners of the hubby of a councillor of the BCC that were enactment up astatine Sangam Circle illegally successful usurpation of the regularisation prohibiting banners, advertisements etc., successful definite locations of the city.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the interim bid connected a petition filed by Munaph Patel K.P, who is serving arsenic AEE (Environment) successful BCC. The AEE has challenged the October 9, 2025, bid of suspension issued by the Urban Development Department connected the proposal of the BCC Commissioner.

“The petitioner who has lone performed his work successful accordance with instrumentality is present facing the ire of suspension lone due to the fact that it is the governmental masters who are dictating specified orders of suspension albeitprima facie,” the tribunal observed.

While noticing that the AEE had simply enforced the BCC’s resolution, which had prohibited banners, cutout oregon immoderate benignant of advertisements astatine 17 locations, the tribunal said that solution itself makes this constituent clear.

‘Shocking’

“It further shocks that the Commissioner of the BCC who was a signatory to the solution prohibiting banners, etc., astatine assorted location, had recommended that the petitioner should beryllium placed nether suspension, the tribunal observed.

Terming the enactment of suspension of the petitioner arsenic “a classical lawsuit of maltreatment of powerfulness by the disciplinary authority”, the tribunal said that the bid of suspension, “on the look of it mala fide and a merchandise of maltreatment of powerfulness volition not beryllium permitted to stand.”