Citations: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 462 - 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 469Nominal IndexSimi Bell Rose John v. State of Kerala and Ors., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 462Arun K. Thomas v. Narcotic Control Bureau & connected cases, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 463Lulu Hyper Market Pvt. Ltd v. The District Collector and Ors. & connected case, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 464Muhammed Ashfaq C. v. Union of India and connected cases,...
Citations: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 462 - 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 469
Nominal Index
Simi Bell Rose John v. State of Kerala and Ors., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 462
Arun K. Thomas v. Narcotic Control Bureau & connected cases, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 463
Lulu Hyper Market Pvt. Ltd v. The District Collector and Ors. & connected case, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 464
Muhammed Ashfaq C. v. Union of India and connected cases, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 465
Ernakulam Thirumala Devaswom and Ors. v. The Cochin Devaswom Board, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 466
Abdul Basith Kurikkalakath v. Shafi Mohammed @ Shafi Mohamed Khalid and Ors., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 467
Krishnapriya M. v. State of Kerala and Ors., 2026 Livelaw (Ker) 468
U v. State of Kerala and Ors., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 469
Judgments/ Orders This Week
Case Title: Simi Bell Rose John v. State of Kerala and Ors.
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 462
The Kerala High Court has dismissed the police protection plea preferred by expelled Congress leader Simi Bell Rose John against Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and his brother, V.D. Ajayakumar.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas observed that Simi has not pointed out any materials to show that her life or property were under threat from the Chief Minister (5th respondent) or his brother (4th respondent).
Case Title: Arun K. Thomas v. Narcotic Control Bureau & connected cases
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 463
The Kerala High Court has issued a slew of guidelines that must be followed upon the arrest of persons in order to safeguard their constitutional and statutory rights.
Dr. Justice Kauser Edappagath, while considering a batch of bail applications, further clarified that an accused has to be produced before the Magistrate only within 24 hours of formal arrest, and not actual physical custody, if pre-arrest detention is permitted by law.
Case Title: Lulu Hyper Market Pvt. Ltd v. The District Collector and Ors. & connected case
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 464
The Kerala High Court recently upheld a Single Bench decision, which quashed the Revenue Divisional Officer's orders reclassifying the land owned by Lulu Hyper Market Pvt. Ltd. in Thrissur and permitting its commercial use.
The Division Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Basant Balaji agreed that the RDO did not follow the procedure under Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act and Rules, which mandates RDO to call for a report from the Agricultural Officer before deciding a Form-5 application for deletion of land from the Data Bank.
Case Title: Muhammed Ashfaq C. v. Union of India and connected cases
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 465
The Kerala High Court has held that arrest of a person would be vitiated if the arrestee's relative/friend/nominated person is not informed of the arrest grounds when first produced before the nearest, non-jurisdictional magistrate for transit remand.
Dr. Justice Kauser Edappagath observed:
“when a person who is arrested is brought before a non-jurisdictional Magistrate even if only for the purpose of ordering a transit or transit remand, it is imperative that the grounds of arrest be communicated both to the aresstee and to his relative or friend, as mandated under Article 22(1) of the Constitution and Sections 47 and 48 of the BNSS, prior to such production.”
Case Title: Ernakulam Thirumala Devaswom and Ors. v. The Cochin Devaswom Board
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 466
The Kerala High Court has held that the power of a Devaswom Board to assume the management of an institution under the Travancore Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act, 1950 is not an unfettered one and can be exercised only in the circumstances specifically contemplated in the Act.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K. V. Jayakumar was delivering the judgment in a petition challenging two communications issued by the Cochin Devaswom Board in February 2017.
Case Title: Abdul Basith Kurikkalakath v. Shafi Mohammed @ Shafi Mohamed Khalid and Ors.
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 467
The Kerala High Court has held that the personal properties of a judgment debtor's wife cannot be attached in an execution petition even if she knew that her husband gifted his property to her in order to defeat the decree holder's claim.
Justice Easwaran S. clarified that in such circumstances, the decree holder would not be rendered remediless and he can apply for vitiating the fraudulent gifting by making an application as per Section 53 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882.
Case Title: Krishnapriya M. v. State of Kerala and Ors.
Citation: 2026 Livelaw (Ker) 468
The Kerala High Court has held that four attempts cap in the First Professional MBBS Degree Examination includes both regular and supplementary exams.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas delivered the judgment in a petition filed by a first year MBBS student.
The petitioner joined the MBBS course in the year 2023 and has not been able to clear the first year MBBS as she failed in three subjects. The first professional MBBS course has to be completed within four attempts in four years and the petitioner has already completed four attempts yet has not been able to clear the subjects.
Case Title: U v. State of Kerala and Ors.
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 469
The Kerala High Court recently quashed the criminal proceedings initiated against a father, who was working abroad, accused of the offence under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act for failing to provide for the basic needs and maintenance of his child.
Justice Jobin Sebastian observed that the offence was not attracted since the father was not in actual charge of or in control over the child.
Other Developments This Week
Transgender Devotee Moves Kerala High Court After Being Stopped From Proceeding To Sabarimala
Case No: WP(C) 29771/2026
The Kerala High Court on Monday (August 24) issued notice before admission on a plea preferred by a transgender person seeking to visit Sabarimala temple.
The plea was moved before the vacation bench of Justice Gopinath P. and Justice S. Manu.
The government pleader took notice on behalf of the State and the District Collector. Standing counsel took notice on behalf of the Travancore Devaswom Board. Notice by speed post was ordered to the Sabarimala thantri. The case is posted to September 3 for further consideration.
Case No: IA No.25/2026 in WP(C) No.16603 of 2026
Case Title: Case Title: The High Court Legal Aid Committee v. The State of Kerala and Ors.
The Kerala High Court on Friday (August 21) sought the State's response to a suggestion to rename 'Mental Health Centres', in order to remove the stigma attached to the words.
The Division Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Basant Balaji passed the order, taking note of the suggestion made by amicus curiae Sathyasree Priya to rename it to 'Institutes of Behavioural Management'.
Case Title: Suo Motu v. Union of India and Ors. and connected case
Case No: WP(C) 25158/2024 and WP(C) No. 25129 of 2024
The Kerala High Court has pulled up the Enforcement Wing of the Motor Vehicles Department for failing to strictly enforce road-safety norms against vehicles fitted with unauthorised lights and other modifications, despite repeated directions issued by the court.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Anil K. Narendran and Justice Muralee Krishna S. was hearing suo motu writ petitions concerning road safety and enforcement of the provisions of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules and applicable safety standards.