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
Judgment
Bail Refused to Palakkad Man Accused of Bus Harassment; Grave Allegations Bar Extraordinary Relief under BNSS: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court refused to grant bail to a Palakkad man accused of harassing a woman advocate inside a private bus, holding that the allegations were grave and did not justify the use of extraordinary powers under Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The decision was delivered by Justice K. Babu, who made…
Order
Anticipatory Bail Refused in Bus Stalking Case of Lady Lawyer Despite Plea of Exceptional Circumstances: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court recently dealt with an anticipatory bail plea filed directly before it by a practicing lawyer from Palakkad, without first approaching the Sessions Court. The plea was entertained on the ground that no lawyer practicing before the Sessions Court was willing to accept his vakalath, as the…
Judgment
Private Banks Not Amenable to Writ Jurisdiction; ₹50,000 Cost Imposed on South Indian Bank Set Aside: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court clarified the limits of writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India while dealing with a dispute involving a private commercial bank. The Court set aside a Single Bench order which had imposed a cost of ₹50,000 on South Indian Bank for failing to return original title deeds…
Order
Valid Re-Marriage with Ex-Husband under Section 125 CrPC Presumed Only if Dissolution of Muslim Woman’s Intervening Marriage Is Proved: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court clarified important legal principles governing maintenance claims under Section 125 Code of Criminal Procedure in the context of Muslim personal law. The Court held that a presumption of valid remarriage between a Muslim man and his divorced wife cannot arise merely from long cohabitation unless…
Judgment
Employers Must Deposit Gratuity Amount and Interest Before Filing Appeal under Section 7(7) of the Payment of Gratuity Act: Kerala High Court
This judgment was delivered by the Kerala High Court in a writ petition filed by Kerala State Financial Enterprises Ltd., commonly known as KSFE. The case arose when KSFE challenged an order passed by the Regional Joint Labour Commissioner, Kollam, who functions as the Appellate Authority under the Payment of Gratuity…
Order
Arrest Is Illegal If Grounds Are Not Communicated to the Arrestee at the Earliest Opportunity: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has issued an important ruling on the constitutional and statutory protections relating to the arrest of individuals. The Court reinstated that failure to inform an accused of the grounds of arrest in accordance with Article 22(1) of the Constitution of India and Sections 47 and 48 of the…
Judgment
Criminal Courts Directed to Obtain Accused’s Endorsement Confirming Supply of Case Materials Before Commencement of Trial: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has issued an important direction to all Criminal Courts in the District Judiciary, instructing them to secure an endorsement from the accused or the accused’s counsel confirming compliance with Rule 19(4) of the Criminal Rules of Practice in Kerala, 1982 before fixing dates for examination of…
Judgment
Unemployed Highly Qualified Wife Entitled to Claim Maintenance from Husband: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has held that a woman who is highly educated but unemployed cannot be denied maintenance merely because she has the potential to earn. Justice Kauser Edappagath observed that under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), a woman is entitled to maintenance until she secures…
Order
SIT Probe Ordered into Alleged Illegal Surrogacy Practices by ART Bank: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has suggested the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations connected to the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Bank case. The Division Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice M B Snehalatha made this observation while hearing a writ petition filed by the…
Order
SIT Granted Six Additional Weeks to Complete Probe into Sabarimala Gold Theft Case: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court on December 3, 2025 granted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) six more weeks to conclude its investigation into the plundering of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and lintels of the Sabarimala temple. The case concerns allegations that valuable gold plates from sacred idols may have been…
Order
Sabarimala Gold Theft Case: Magistrate’s Order Denying FIR Copy to ED Quashed; Fresh Application Must Establish Proceeds of Crime: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has set aside the Ranni Magistrate Court’s decision that denied the Directorate of Enforcement access to the First Information Report and First Information Statement in the Crime Branch probe relating to the high-profile Sabarimala gold theft case. The decision clarifies how jurisdiction under…
Order
Lack of Independent Witnesses Does Not Weaken Cruelty Allegations in Section 498A IPC Cases: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court recently delivered a significant judgment regarding offences under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with cruelty towards a woman by her husband or a relative of the husband. The matter arose from a criminal revision petition filed by the husband challenging his conviction and…
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
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…
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…
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…
Order
Section 233 BNSS Applies Only to the Same Offence, Cheating Case Not Stayed Pending Forest Investigation: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Roji Augustine, the first accused in Crl.M.C. No. 7404 of 2026, seeking to stay proceedings in C.C. No. 456 of 2022 until the final report was filed in O.R. No. 1 of 2021. The case arose from a timber transaction involving Rs.1.40 crore. According to the order,…
Order
Lawyer Cannot Swear Plaintiff’s Affidavit on Facts Beyond Personal Knowledge: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has set aside an order of the Munsiff Court, Chittur, allowing the production of additional documents in a partition suit after finding that the plaintiff's lawyer had sworn an affidavit beyond his personal knowledge. Justice Easwaran S. delivered the judgment on September 10, 2026, in O.P(C)…
Order
John Doe Suits Cannot Be Blocked by Procedural Technicalities When Defendants Are Unknown: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has directed the Principal Munsiff Court, Ernakulam, to number a suit filed by M/s Cubes Entertainments over an online review of the film “Kattalan”. The order was passed on 14 September 2026 by Justice Easwaran S. in OP(C) No. 2655 of 2026. The petition challenged the refusal of the Munsiff…
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
