Supreme Court stays order against Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy in contempt case

The Supreme Court yesterday stayed the Karnataka High Court order impleading Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel HD Kumaraswamy in a contempt case relating to allegations of land encroachment by him and his family.

A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and PB Varale was told that the contempt proceedings were drawn before the High Court for the disobedience of the order from 2020 passed by the Division Bench of the High Court in a writ petition.

Court was further informed that said order in the writ petition was passed by the High Court on the basis of the statement of the Additional Advocate General wherein he stated that the State will comply with the 2014 order passed by the Karnataka Lokayukta regarding encroachment of government lands, within a period of three months.

Senior Advocate C Aryama Sundaram, appearing for the Union Minister, informed supreme court that the aforesaid order of the Lokayukta was a detailed order but was interlocutory in nature and finally, the Lokayukta had closed the proceedings in 2021 and therefore, the order of the Lokayukta dated from 2014 ceased to have any independent existence and stands merged in the final order.

"In such a situation, the proceedings for contempt cannot go on...The second submission is that at the relevant time, the petitioner was not a party to the contempt proceedings but even then, action was taken against him...", court was further told.

The bench has accordingly issued notice, returnable within six weeks.

Earlier Supreme Court had directed Kumaraswamy to bring to the notice of the High Court that he had been deleted from the contempt proceedings. In pursuance thereof, the union minister had made an application to the Court to the above effect on which the Contempt Court directed for his impleadment.

Case Title: H.D. KUMARASWAMY vs. SAMAJ PARIVARTANA SAMUDAYA & ORS.

Hearing Date: July 17, 2025

Bench: Justices Pankaj Mithal and Prassana B Varale