Archive · 6 Sep 2026
Karnataka High Court Quashes SP Externment Powers Notification
The Karnataka High Court looked at a rule about removing certain people from an area.
The court said district police superintendents do not have the legal power to issue these orders.
The law gives that power to certain other officials, such as police commissioners or authorized administrative officers.
The Karnataka government had issued a notification trying to give the power to district SPs.
The court cancelled that notification.
The case began after Chandrakant Shankar Vadder challenged an externment order against him.
The court said government notifications cannot change or expand powers granted by a law.
It also referred to an earlier Supreme Court ruling supporting this principle.
The Karnataka High Court ruled that district police superintendents cannot order externment under the Karnataka Police Act, 1963.
The court quashed a Karnataka government notification that attempted to grant those powers to SPs.
Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum issued the ruling while hearing Chandrakant Shankar Vadder’s petition.
The court said externment powers belong to police commissioners, deputy commissioners, or assistant commissioners as specified by law.
It held that an executive notification cannot expand powers beyond those granted by the parent legislation.
- Who
- The Karnataka High Court, Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum, district police superintendents, and petitioner Chandrakant Shankar Vadder.
- What
- The court quashed a government notification empowering district SPs to order externment and ruled that SPs lack that authority under the Karnataka Police Act, 1963.
- Where
- The ruling was issued by the Karnataka High Court in Bengaluru in a case involving Belagavi district.
- Why
- The court found that the government notification exceeded the powers provided by the Karnataka Police Act, 1963.
- Court
- Karnataka High Court
- Law involved
- Karnataka Police Act, 1963
- Relevant provisions
- Sections 55 and 56
- Petitioner
- Chandrakant Shankar Vadder of Nippani, Belagavi district
- Judge
- Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum
- Invalidated action
- State government notification granting externment powers to district SPs
- Authorities identified in the law
- Police commissioners, deputy commissioners, and authorized assistant commissioners