The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation challenging the constitutional validity of a draft bill that proposed 50% reservation in management and 70% reservation in non-management posts for Kannadigas in private industries and organizations of the state. The court stated that the petition was premature as the bill had not yet been passed into law. The petitioner, a Chartered Accountant and regional mentor of change with NITI Aayog, argued that the bill would hinder her chances of employment, but the court imposed a cost of Rs 5,000 for the perceived personal interest. However, after the petitioner's counsel stated that she was a pregnant woman and had no personal interest in the matter, the court withdrew the imposition of cost.
The Karnataka High Court reserved its order after extensive hearings on petitions filed by the CBI and BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal, challenging the state government's move to withdraw consent for a probe by the CBI in the disproportionate assets case against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. The CBI argued that once consent is granted, it cannot be revoked, while Patil's counsel supported the continuation of the investigation. The Congress government questioned the legality of the consent given by the previous BJP government and argued that the petitions were not maintainable.