Contractor alleges graft demand for clearing Bengaluru's garbage tender, moves High Court seeking probe

Bengaluru: A contractor in the bid for Bengaluru’s garbage tender has approached the high court of Karnataka alleging demand of bribe against Karee Gowda (IAS), Chief Executive Officer of Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) for himself and on behalf of Tushar Girinath, Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department and the state government. The petitioner SN Balasubramaniam, who is declared the lowest bidder (L1 bidder) for the package in CV Raman Nagar in the July 2025 tender notification, has alleged that Karee Gowda demanded 15 per cent of the price bid quoted by him for the period of seven years.

The petitioner stated that on March 10, 2026, Karee Gowda informed him that unless the “formalities and obligations” are fulfilled and complied, the tender would not be finalised. According to the petitioner, Karee Gowda claimed that these “formalities and obligations” are direct instructions from the higher ups in the government and it is for this precise reason that he has been posted. On further insistence of the petitioner seeking details, Karee Gowda explained to the petitioner that of the 15 per cent, the board members would get 3 per cent the ACS and his department (UDD) would get 3 per cent and the government would get 9 per cent, the petition stated.

The petitioner further submitted that on March 11, 2026, he had filed a complaint to the Chief Secretary but to no avail. On March 25, 2026, a new tender notification was issued.

State Rebuttal:

On Thursday, when the matter came up before the bench presided over by Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum, Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty said the allegations were baseless. The AG filed a memo stating that on March 10, 2026, the day on which allegedly demand of bribe was made, Karee Gowda was in Delhi. The AG produced air tickets and boarding passes as evidence to this effect.

On the other hand, P Prasanna Kumar, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that the petitioner is ready to file an affidavit in support of the claim/allegations made in the petition. Considering the said submissions, Justice Magadum adjourned the hearing to Friday.

'Restore Earlier Tender':

The petitioner has sought a direction for the registration of an FIR and court monitored investigation on his allegations or in the alternative for constitution of an SIT to probe the allegations. Besides this prayer, the petitioner has also sought directions to quash the March 25, 2026, tender notification and to direct BSWML to proceed and finalise the July 30, 2025, tender notification, in which he was declared L1 bidder.

Pursuant to the petitioner being declared as L1 bidder, some other bidders had preferred statutory appeal and orders passed in violation of the provisions under the KTTP Act, since no opportunity was provided to the petitioner. The petitioner contended that March 25, 2026, fresh notification was issued without complying with the due procedure. For a tender to be recalled the file must be placed before the board committee and resolution must be passed by the board to recall the tender and forwarded to the government for approval, the petition stated.