Karnataka High Court Stays Suspension Of Legislative Council Official Accused Of Not Keeping Ambedkar's Photo At Constitution Day Event

The Karnataka High Court, in an interim order on Tuesday (July 8) stayed the suspension of Deputy Secretary K J Jalajakshi–working in the Karnataka State Legislative Council–on the allegation that he failed to keep the photograph of Dr B R Ambedkar on the Constitutional Day function conducted on 26.11.2024.

Issuing notice to the respondents and directing them to file their response to Jalajakshi's plea, Justice H T Narendra Prasad passed the interim order and stayed operation of the suspension order till the next date of hearing.

The high court further clarified that the interim order will not come in the way of the competent authority to initiate any departmental enquiry against the petitioner, in accordance with law.

The suspension order dated July 4, 2025 was issued pending departmental enquiry against the petitioner invoking Rule 10 (1) (d) of Karnataka Civil Services (CCA) Rules 1957, holding that the petitioner has conducted gross dereliction of duty.

The petitioner contended that he was not at all the authority either to conduct or to overlook the entire function that was scheduled. He said ythat the suspension order  does not say anything about the responsibility the petitioner was bestowed upon in the function and hence the order suffers from non-application of mind. It was argued that the order was passed with a malafide intention to avoid promotion to the petitioner to the post of Joint Secretary.

The petitioner further claimed that though the secretary of the Legislative Council and Joint Secretary were present in the function and overseeing it, they being the higher officials, has been left out of any actions.

The plea claims that just because petitioner is an official of the respondent-legislative council, this same ipso facto is not enough for the complainant or the authorities to take action against the petitioner without looking into the fact whether the petitioner was responsible by any means to conduct the function or to manage it. 

The plea prays for quashing of the suspension order. 

Case Title: K J Jaljakshi AND The Honourable Chairman

Appearance: Advocate Raghavendra G.Gayatri for Petitioner.

Case No: WP 19864/2025

Click Here To Read/Download Order