High Court
Kerala High Court
Ernakulam
The Kerala High Court was established in 1956. It has jurisdiction over the state of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
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News & Updates Published
Order
FIR Ordered Against Pinarayi Vijayan, Veena Thaikkandiyil and Mohammed Riyas in CMRL-Exalogic Case: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court on October 9, 2026, directed the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to register an FIR in the CMRL-Exalogic case involving former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena Thaikkandiyil and his son-in-law Mohammed Riyas. Justice A. Badharudeen passed the order on a…
Order
Alleged Elbow Hit on Woman’s Chest Insufficient to Establish Intent to Outrage Modesty, Man Acquitted: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has acquitted Rajendran in a molestation case dating back to 2002, setting aside his conviction and sentence under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Justice Jobin Sebastian passed the order on September 30, 2026, while allowing Criminal Revision Petition No. 481 of 2007. The case arose…
Order
Police Directed to Strictly Enforce Public Smoking Ban and Conduct Awareness on Passive Smoking: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has disposed of a public interest litigation seeking strict enforcement of the legal ban on smoking in public places across Kerala. The petition was filed by Prof. Monamma Kokkad in WP(PIL) No. 195 of 2026, decided on October 7, 2026. The petitioner argued that directions issued by the High Court…
Order
Notaries Act Protection Unavailable for Forged Attestation in Signatory’s Absence: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed a petition filed by P. Imbichi Koya, a 67-year-old advocate and Kerala State Notary, seeking to quash criminal proceedings against him in a vigilance case involving an allegedly forged consent letter linked to a building permit. Justice A. Badharudeen passed the order on September…
Order
498A Case Against In-Laws Retained Over Allegations of Calling Daughter-in-Law a ‘Servant’ and ‘Cancer in Their Life’: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against Sreejith MS, the fourth accused in a matrimonial cruelty case, while refusing to end the case against his parents, Sasi MR and Shantha P.A. The order was passed by Justice G. Girish on 5 October 2026. The case arose from Crime No.64/2022 of Chottanikkara…
Order
20-Year Jail Term Upheld for Man Convicted of Repeated Sexual Assault on 12-Year-Old Niece: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed a criminal appeal challenging the conviction and sentence of the accused in a POCSO case tried by the Fast Track Special Court, Wadakkanchery. The case arose from Crime No. 977/2021 of Pazhayannur Police Station, Thrissur. The accused was convicted by the Special Court on 25.06.2024…
Judgment
Preventive Detention of BJP Councillor Sugathan R Quashed Over Procedural Lapses Under KAAPA: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has set aside the preventive detention of Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Councillor Sugathan R under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 2007 (KAAPA), finding serious procedural lapses in the detention process. The petition was filed by his wife, Aswathi G R, challenging…
Judgment
Disability Does Not Extinguish Husband’s Duty to Maintain Wife, Kerala HC Upholds ₹10,000 Monthly Maintenance: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed R.P.F.C. No. 122 of 2024 and upheld an order directing the petitioner to pay ₹10,000 per month as maintenance to the respondent. The case arose from M.C. No. 137 of 2019 before the Family Court, Kottayam at Ettumanoor. The petitioner and respondent married on 1 August 2015. It was…
Order
Wife Declared Exclusive Owner of Jointly Registered Property, Husband Directed to Vacate House Within Three Months: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has declared Raslin the exclusive owner of a 2.8 Ares (7 cents) property and the building standing on it, in a matrimonial dispute involving her husband Shamsheer Kurudan Candy. The judgment was delivered on 26 September 2026 in Mat.Appeal Nos.84 and 581 of 2022. Raslin had claimed that her…
Judgment
YouTuber Thoppi Granted Anticipatory Bail, Kerala High Court Notes No Obscene or Sexually Coloured Remarks Were Directly Made by Him: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has granted anticipatory bail to Muhammed Nihad @ Thoppi in a case registered by Manjeri Police in Malappuram district over alleged objectionable remarks and the unauthorised display of a woman's photographs and videos during a YouTube livestream. The order was passed by Justice Dr. Kauser…
Order
Mere Relationship With Husband’s Family Insufficient for Domestic Violence Proceedings Without Proof of Shared Household: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has quashed proceedings under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 against two persons who were arrayed as the fourth and fifth respondents in a domestic violence case before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-IV, Kozhikode. The petitioners, who were the brother-in-law…
Order
Flag Insult Case Against Lakshadweep Man Quashed, Accidental Display of 'Saffron Down' Without Intent Not an Offence: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against Mohammed Kasim H.K., who was accused of insulting the Indian National Flag by sharing a photograph in which the saffron band appeared at the bottom. Justice A. Badharudeen held that the prosecution material did not indicate that the flag had been displayed…
Judgment
Preventive Detention of BJP Councillor Sugathan R Quashed Over Procedural Lapses Under KAAPA: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has set aside the preventive detention of Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Councillor Sugathan R under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 2007 (KAAPA), finding serious procedural lapses in the detention process. The petition was filed by his wife, Aswathi G R, challenging…
Judgment
Disability Does Not Extinguish Husband’s Duty to Maintain Wife, Kerala HC Upholds ₹10,000 Monthly Maintenance: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed R.P.F.C. No. 122 of 2024 and upheld an order directing the petitioner to pay ₹10,000 per month as maintenance to the respondent. The case arose from M.C. No. 137 of 2019 before the Family Court, Kottayam at Ettumanoor. The petitioner and respondent married on 1 August 2015. It was…
Judgment
YouTuber Thoppi Granted Anticipatory Bail, Kerala High Court Notes No Obscene or Sexually Coloured Remarks Were Directly Made by Him: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has granted anticipatory bail to Muhammed Nihad @ Thoppi in a case registered by Manjeri Police in Malappuram district over alleged objectionable remarks and the unauthorised display of a woman's photographs and videos during a YouTube livestream. The order was passed by Justice Dr. Kauser…
Judgment
Bar Council Directed to Update List of Advocates Who Have Not Cleared AIBE Since 2021: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has directed the Bar Council of Kerala to update its list of advocates from 2021 onwards in relation to compliance with the All India Bar Examination (AIBE). The direction was issued by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V. M. on 23rd September, 2026. The…
Judgment
Domestic Violence Case Cannot Be Quashed Merely Due to Delay: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Mathews Wilson and Gracy Wilson, seeking to quash proceedings under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 pending before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-III, Thrissur. Mathews Wilson, aged 43, is the husband of Anu Mol, aged 38, while…
Judgment
Consensual Relationship Cannot Constitute an Offence Due to Failed Promise of Marriage, FIR Quashed: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court considered a case involving Zahid Shanavas, who was the sole accused in Crime No. 219 of 2026 of Vazhakkulam Police Station, Ernakulam. The case concerned allegations that he had sexual intercourse with the de facto complainant after promising to marry her and later asked her to abort a child…
Judgment
Married Woman Voluntarily Accompanying Man to Hotel Cannot Claim Sexual Relationship Was Induced by Promise of Marriage: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court at Ernakulam has quashed an FIR and all further proceedings against Habibur Rahman, the sole accused in a case registered at Kovalam Police Station. The case alleged that he promised to marry the de facto complainant, took her to a hotel on 3 November 2025, and had sexual intercourse with her…
Judgment
Love Relationship Has No Relevance When Victim Is a Minor, 10-Year POCSO Sentence Upheld: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed the criminal appeal filed by Reji and upheld his conviction and sentence in a case involving the sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl. Justice A. Badharudeen delivered the judgment on September 1, 2026, holding that an alleged love relationship or consensual sexual activity has no…
Judgment
NIA Cannot Recover Salary Paid to Public Prosecutor During Deputation Based on Subsequent Pay Re-Fixation: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has delivered a significant verdict stating that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) cannot recover salary paid to a Public Prosecutor during his deputation period based on a subsequent pay re-fixation. The court observed that the pay fixed at the time of deputation and the subsequent…
Judgment
Christian Women Allowed to File Divorce Cases Where They Currently Reside: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has held that a Christian wife seeking dissolution of marriage can file her divorce petition before the District Court or Family Court having jurisdiction over the place where she is residing when the petition is filed. The Court clarified that this remains possible even if the marriage was…
Judgment
Reporting an Official Arrest Without Defamatory Intent Cannot Attract Criminal Case: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has quashed criminal defamation proceedings against the Chief Editor, Editor and Reporter of Malayala Manorama, holding that merely reporting an official arrest on the basis of an official occurrence report does not automatically amount to criminal defamation. The Court emphasised that the…
Judgment
Placing a Vibrating Device on a Minor Victim's Vaginal Opening Constitutes Penetrative Sexual Assault: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by a man convicted of sexually assaulting a minor girl in Ernakulam in 2019. The court confirmed the 10-year rigorous imprisonment awarded by the Fast Track Special Court, Perumbavoor, and upheld the conviction under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences…
Order
Family Pension Not Subject To Testamentary Disposition, Husband Cannot Exclude Wife And Children Through Application: Kerala High Court
In a recent judgment delivered by the Kerala High Court, the issue of whether family pension qualifies as part of an employee’s estate, and whether an employee can exclude their spouse or dependents from receiving it, was addressed. The case, Union of India vs. S. Sathikumari Amma, revolved around the rights of the…
Order
Restrains EPFO From Reducing Higher Pension Of Petitioners Who Contributed Based On Actual Salary: Kerala High Court
In a recent decision, the High Court of Kerala addressed an important issue related to the Employees Provident Fund and its implications on pension benefits. The case was brought forward by a group of petitioners who were concerned about the reduction in their higher pension entitlements. These pensioners had been…
Order
Court Stipulates That Children's Court Must Verify If Child Can Be Tried As Adult, Even If Juvenile Board Has Said So: Kerala High Court
The case revolves around the issue of whether a child, charged with heinous offenses, can be treated as an adult for trial purposes under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, particularly under Section 19 and Section 101(2). The petitioner, Dr. Sankarjee, contended that the impugned order…
Order
First Proviso To Section 479 BNSS Not Applicable Retrospectively To Convicted Prisoners: Kerala High Court
In a recent decision, the High Court of Kerala, Ernakulam, dealt with a plea for suspension of sentence filed by Arunkumar, the appellant in Crl. Appeal No. 1042 of 2023, who was convicted in Sessions Case No. 3 of 2021 by the First Additional Sessions Court, Thrissur. Arunkumar sought suspension of his sentence under…
Order
Conviction For Moral Turpitude Offense Over Five Years Ago No Bar To Passport Issuance: Kerala High Court
In a significant judgment delivered by the Kerala High Court, the petitioner, Abdul Azeez K.P., a senior citizen aged 70 years, challenged the refusal to process his passport application. The case revolves around the interpretation of provisions in the Passports Act, 1967, particularly Section 6(2)(e), which governs…
Order
Wife Holding Temporary Job Not Ground To Deny Maintenance, Entitled To Same Standard Of Living As During Marriage: Kerala High Court
In a landmark judgment, the High Court of Kerala has upheld the wife’s right to claim maintenance under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.PC) from her husband. The case in question involved a wife seeking financial support from her husband, who had failed to maintain her or their child, citing financial…
Order
Plea For Organ Transplantation Cannot Be Denied Based On Perceived Existence Of Large-Scale Commercial Transactions: Kerala High Court
In a significant legal development regarding organ transplantation, the Kerala High Court addressed the issues surrounding the Authorisation Committee’s decisions under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994. The case involved an appeal filed against the decision of the Authorisation Committee,…
Order
Money In Bank Account Considered 'Property', Subject To Provisional Attachment Under Section 281B Of Income Tax Act: Kerala High Court
In a recent decision, the Kerala High Court discussed the legal intricacies of provisional attachment under the Income Tax Act, 1961. The case revolves around the issue of whether money held in a bank account can be provisionally attached to secure revenue interests during an ongoing tax assessment. The Court also…
Order
Expedited Trial In SFI Worker Abhimanyu's Murder Case Directed, Completion Within Nine Months: Kerala High Court
In a recent ruling, the High Court of Kerala addressed the petition filed by Bhoopathi, a resident of Suppuveedu House, Vattavada, in Idukki, seeking an expeditious disposal of S.C. No. 1068 of 2018, which is currently pending before the Principal Sessions Court, Ernakulam. The case stems from Crime No. 1548/2018 of…
Order
False Implication In NDPS Cases Leads To Severe Consequences, Ruins Life: Court Urges Union To Address Sentence Inadequacy For False Accusations: Kerala High Court
On January 27, 2025, the High Court of Kerala, under the leadership of Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan, rejected the anticipatory bail application filed by M.N. Narayana Das in relation to Crime No. 05/2023 of the Chalakudy Excise Range Office, Thrissur. The case involved the accusation of false information being provided…
Order
Limited, Not Permanent Guardianship For Mentally Disabled Persons Permitted Under PwD Act: Kerala High Court
In WP(C) No. 25127 of 2024, Bindumol A T and her husband Ashok Kumar from Changanacherry, Kottayam have approached the Kerala High Court regarding a matter concerning the family pension after the death of Ashok Kumar's father, M.G. Sarangapani, who had served as a Subedar in the Indian Army. Ashok Kumar, the second…
Order
Convicts Can Be Issued Passport If Conviction Is Over 5 Years Old: Kerala High Court
A notable judgment was delivered by the Hon'ble Justice Gopinath P. of the High Court of Kerala in the matter of W.P.(C) No. 45038/2024, where Abdul Azeez K.P., a 70-year-old petitioner, challenged the refusal to process his passport application. The petitioner had been convicted under various sections of the…
Delay in Challenging Family Court Orders in Matrimonial Disputes Can Be Fatal as Parties May Alter Their Marital Status: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has observed that delay in challenging orders passed by Family Courts in matrimonial disputes, particularly in matters relating to dissolution of marriage, can be fatal because parties may alter their marital status after the expiry of the appeal period. The Court emphasized that great care and…
About the Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court was established in 1956. It has jurisdiction over the state of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
Seat
Ernakulam
State / UT
Kerala
Region
South India
