The Karnataka High Court has cancelled the state government’s order permanently transferring Dr. Keshav Abbayya, brother of MLA Prasad Abbayya, from Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences to Karnataka Medical College and Research Institute (KMCRI) in Hubballi. Dr. Keshav was also appointed Head of the Dentistry Department and made the senior-most professor unjustly. Justice M. Nagaprasanna ruled in favor of Suneel G. Patil, the senior-most KMCRI dentistry faculty, who challenged the transfer. The court said, “The permanent placement of Dr. Keshav as professor of KMCRI being in blatant violation of binding statutory guidelines and indelibly tainted by political influence, cannot be sustained in law.” It pointed out that Dr. Keshav’s transfer ignored the statutory rights and promotion eligibility of the petitioner, Suneel G. Patil. The court noted that Dr. Keshav was moved to KMCRI based on a rewritten letter by his MLA brother, violating institute and National Medical Commission norms. It further stated Dr. Keshav should have been placed at the bottom of the seniority list since his transfer was voluntary, citing his mother’s ill health. The court also exposed that the government created a new professor post in the dentistry department by falsely claiming to abolish a post elsewhere without approval from the National Medical Commission. The court emphasized fairness under Article 14 of the Indian Constitution and ruled that the petitioner deserves all benefits from quashing Dr. Keshav’s transfer and appointment.