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
Trial Court May Add Charges Under Sections 409 and 420 IPC Simultaneously If Facts Do Not Clearly Indicate Which Offence Was Committed: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has ruled that when there is uncertainty as to which offence has been committed, a trial court can include charges under both Section 409 IPC (Criminal breach of trust by public servant) and Section 420 IPC (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property). The decision was delivered by…
Judgment
First Wife Must Be Given Hearing Before Registration of Muslim Man’s Second Marriage; Matter to Be Referred to Court If She Objects: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has held that the first wife must be given an opportunity of hearing by the statutory authorities before registering the second marriage of a Muslim man under the Kerala Registration of Marriages (Common) Rules, 2008. The ruling was delivered by Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan, who emphasized that…
Judgment
Court Fee Payable Only on Principal Relief Under Section 6(1) of the Kerala Court Fees Act, Not on Consequential Reliefs: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has ruled that when multiple documents concerning the same property are challenged in one suit, the court fee should be computed only on the principal relief and not on any ancillary or consequential reliefs. Justice P. Krishna Kumar delivered the judgment while interpreting Section 6(1) of the…
Judgment
Family Court’s Order Dismissing Order IX Rule 9 CPC Application for Restoration of Suit Is Appealable; Original Petition Not Maintainable: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court recently dismissed an Original Petition that challenged a Family Court’s order rejecting a restoration application. The Division Bench comprising Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Snehalatha M.B. held that when a specific statutory remedy of appeal is available under Order 43 of the Code of…
Judgment
TDS Applicable on Interest Paid by Primary Co-operative Societies to Their Members, Rules Court: Kerala High Court
Kerala High Court recently delivered a significant judgment clarifying the applicability of Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) on interest payments made by Primary Co-operative Societies to their members. The decision came in a batch of petitions, including the leading case Vellangallur Peoples Welfare Co-operative Society…
Judgment
Assam Migrant Labourer Acquitted in Rape-Murder Case of 60-Year-Old Woman; Death Sentence Set Aside: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court delivered a significant judgment in Death Sentence Reference No. 1 of 2021 and Criminal Appeal No. 974 of 2022, acquitting an accused who had earlier been sentenced to death by the trial court for the offences of rape and murder. The Division Bench comprising Dr. Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar…
Judgment
2013 Adhithi Murder Case | Father and Step-Mother Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Death of 6-Year-Old Girl: Kerala High Court
In a tragic case highlighting severe child cruelty, the Kerala High Court on October 30, 2025, set aside the Sessions Court’s acquittal and convicted the father and stepmother of 5½-year-old Adhithi Namboothiri for murder under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Division Bench…
Order
Plea to Cancel ‘India Gate’ Trademark Dismissed; Only Delhi High Court Has Jurisdiction as Mark Was Registered There: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court recently dismissed a Special Jurisdiction Case (SPJC No. 2/2025) filed under Section 57 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, seeking cancellation of the registered trade mark ‘INDIA GATE’ owned by KRBL Limited. The case was heard by Justice M.A. Abdul Hakhim, who ruled that the petition was not…
Order
Limitation Period Commences from the Date on Which ‘Continuous Breach’ of Contract Ceases: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has clarified the legal position regarding the computation of limitation in cases of continuous breach of contract under the Limitation Act, 1963. A Division Bench comprising Justice Sathish Ninan and Justice P. Krishna Kumar held that when a breach of contract is of a continuous nature, the…
Judgment
Husband Restricting Wife’s Movements and Forcing Her to Resign from Job Amount to Cruelty: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has ruled that persistent suspicion, monitoring, and control by a husband over his wife’s life amounts to mental cruelty under Section 10(1)(x) of the Divorce Act, 1869. The Division Bench comprising Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice M.B. Snehalatha held that such conduct destroys the…
Order
Bharat Mata Portrait Row | Kerala University to Deliberate on Registrar’s Suspension in Upcoming Syndicate Meeting, Court Informed: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court was informed by the University of Kerala that the issue concerning the suspension of the Registrar will be included as an agenda item in the next Syndicate meeting. The assurance came during the hearing of a writ petition filed by University Syndicate members, seeking direction to convene the…
Judgment
Muslim Divorce | Return of ‘Mahar’ Can Be Determined from Parties’ Statements, Not Solely from ‘Khula Nama’: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has held that the return of ‘mahar’, which is the consideration given by the husband to the wife in a Muslim marriage, need not be proved solely through the ‘Khula Nama’. The Court clarified that such return can also be ascertained from the statements of the parties made before the court. The…
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
