Nominal Index [Citations: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 122 - 131]XXX v. State of Kerala and Ors., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 122Praveen Kumar @ Kannan v. State of Kerala, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 123Mariyakutty and Ors. v United India Insurance Company Ltd., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 124Chandramohan K.C. and Anr. v. Union of India and Ors., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 125Adv. Kulathoor Jaisingh v. The Chairman and Ors., 2026...
Nominal Index [Citations: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 122 - 131]
XXX v. State of Kerala and Ors., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 122
Praveen Kumar @ Kannan v. State of Kerala, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 123
Mariyakutty and Ors. v United India Insurance Company Ltd., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 124
Chandramohan K.C. and Anr. v. Union of India and Ors., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 125
Adv. Kulathoor Jaisingh v. The Chairman and Ors., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 126
Appukuttan v State of Kerala, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 127
M/s Grid Engineers and Contractors and Anr. v. Union Bank of India and Anr. and connected case, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 128
N.K. Premachandran v Union of India and Ors., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 129
Binu Das B v Smitha Raj L, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 130
Suo Motu v. State of Kerala and Ors., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 131
Judgments/ Orders This Week
Case Title: XXX v. State of Kerala and Ors.
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 122
The Kerala High Court recently invoked its extraordinary jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution to order correction of the name of the father in the birth certificate of a minor child, who was born out of an extra-marital affair of the child's mother.
Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan was considering a writ petition filed by the minor child and her biological parents. They sought to correct the name of the father in the birth certificate from that of her mother's former husband to that of the child's biological father.
Case Title: Praveen Kumar @ Kannan v. State of Kerala
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 123
The Kerala High Court recently passed a judgment wherein it refused to set aside the conviction of a husband under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code on the ground that there was delay in filing complaint by wife.
Justice M.B. Snehalatha remarked: “Matrimonial cruelty is a continuing offence, as the suffering of the victim does not end with a single isolated incident but continues so long as oppressive conduct persists. Harassment and cruelty within the marriage cannot be viewed in isolation, but must be assessed in the context of continuous conduct.”
Case Title: Mariyakutty and Ors. v United India Insurance Company Ltd.
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 124
The Kerala High Court has reaffirmed that siblings of a deceased accident victim are not entitled to compensation under a separate head of “loss of love and affection”.
Justice Shoba Annamma Eapen was delivering the judgment in an appeal filed by the mother and siblings of a 21-year-old man who died in a road accident in 2014. While the Court enhanced compensation under the head of loss of dependency, it reduced the amount granted by the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT) towards “loss of love and affection,” restricting consortium compensation to the mother alone.
Case Title: Chandramohan K.C. and Anr. v. Union of India and Ors.
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 125
The Kerala High Court on Thursday (March 5) refused to entertain a public interest litigation seeking a direction to re-title the movie 'The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond', which was released last week, so as not to include the words “Kerala”/ “Keralam”. A detailed order is awaited.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. orally remarked that similar issues are already pending before a coordinate Division Bench, which is considering appeals against the interim stay granted against the release of the movie.
Case Title: Adv. Kulathoor Jaisingh v. The Chairman and Ors.
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 126
The Kerala High Court on Thursday (March 5) dismissed the public interest litigation filed by Advocate Kulathoor Jaisingh seeking a direction to drop further proceedings before the Ethics Committee of the Legislative Assembly against Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil that was initiated on the basis of a complaint made by D.R. Murali, MLA of Vamanapuram, Thiruvananthapuram.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. held that the writ petition preferred under Article 226 of the Constitution of India is not maintainable and is liable to be dismissed.
Case Title: Appukuttan v State of Kerala
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 127
The Kerala High Court has held that the failure of an investigating officer to identify or record the intellectual disability of a victim during investigation does not vitiate the prosecution case, provided the court is satisfied that the victim is competent to testify and capable of giving rational answers.
Justice A Badharudeen was delivering the judgment in a criminal appeal challenging the conviction for rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Case Title: M/s Grid Engineers and Contractors and Anr. v. Union Bank of India and Anr. and connected case
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 128
The Kerala High Court has recently held that an intra-court appeal under Section 5 of the Kerala High Court Act, 1958 is maintainable against an ex parte ad interim order or any order which has affected a party's right to pursue statutory remedy.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. clarified the position of law while considering an intra-court reference preferred by a Single Judge of the Court and a writ appeal challenging the said reference.
Case Title: N.K. Premachandran v Union of India and Ors.
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 129
The Kerala High Court on Thursday (06 March) disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the proposal to start an MBBS course at the ESIC Model and Super Speciality Hospital, Asramam, Kollam, observing that the project must strictly comply with the National Medical Commission (NMC) regulations before approval is granted.
The Court has directed the proposal of approval to be expedited within four weeks.
The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M was considering a petition filed by Lok Sabha Member N.K. Premachandran seeking intervention regarding the establishment of the medical college.
Transfer Of Matrimonial Case At Advanced Stage Of Trial Unjustified: Kerala High Court
Case Title: Binu Das B v Smitha Raj L
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 130
The Kerala High Court has recently held that a transfer of a matrimonial case at the advanced stage of trial was unjustified and improper while set aside an order transferring a matrimonial case from the Family Court, Kollam, to the Family Court, Punalur,
A Division Bench comprising Justice Sathish Ninan and Justice P. Krishna Kumar delivered the judgment while allowing a transfer appeal filed by the husband in the matrimonial dispute.
Case Title: Suo Motu v. State of Kerala and Ors.
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 131
The Kerala High Court has recently issued directions to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to ensure transparency and better utilisation of the available days for conducting Padi Pooja in Sabarimala temple.
The Division Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar issued the directions while considering a suo motu petition initiated on the basis of monthly report of the Sabarimala Special Commissioner regarding the activities undertaken during the Kumbham masa pooja.
Other Important Developments This Week
Case Title: Saranya Valsaraj v. State of Kerala
Case No: CRL.A 272/ 2026
The Kerala High Court on Monday (March 2) called for the opinion of the Additional District and Sessions Court, Taliparamba (Kannur) that convicted Saranya Valsaraj and sentenced her to life imprisonment for the murder of her one-year-old infant son.
Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar passed the direction while considering an appeal preferred by Saranya challenging the conviction and the sentence imposed.
Kerala High Court Refers St. Mary's Basilica Issue For Mediation
Case Title: Mar Joseph Pamplany v The State of Kerala and Ors.
Case No: WP(C) 2346/ 2026
The Kerala High Court on Monday (02 March) referred the dispute at St. Mary's Basilica, Kochi for mediation.
The Court has appointed Retired Justice T.R Ramachandran Nair as mediator in the dispute.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas passed the order.
Case Title: Indian Medical Association v. Union of India and connected cases
Case No: WA 437/ 2026 and connected cases
The Kerala High Court on Monday (March 2) admitted the appeals preferred by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (IAPMR) challenging a Single Bench decision permitting physiotherapists and doctors to use the 'Dr.' prefix.
The Division Bench of Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice P.V. Balakrishnan also issued notice to the parties.
Case Title: Dr. Rasheed Ahammed P. and Anr. v. State of Kerala and Ors.
Case No: WP(C) 7090/2026
The Kerala High Court on Monday (March 2) heard detailed arguments of the petitioners in the plea alleging that the Chief Minister's Officer (CMO) violated the privacy of government employees and judges by illegally accessing their mobile phone numbers, email IDs and sending bulk messages as a form of election campaign.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas was hearing the case.
Case Title : Baiju Paul Mathews v State of Kerala and connected case
Case No : WP(C) 7858/ 2025 and connected case
The Kerala High Court on Monday (03 March) directed the Chief Secretary of the State to submit a comprehensive roadmap outlining the State's proposed measures to address escalating human-wildlife conflict in Wayanad district, particularly in the Tribal Rehabilitation and Development Mission (TRDM) area in Aaralam, Kannur and other conflict-prone regions in Wayanad
A Division Bench comprising Dr. Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Jobin Sebastian were hearing petitions concerning the human- wildlife conflict in Wayanad and Aralam.
Case Title: Suo Motu v. State of Kerala and Ors.
Case No: SSCR No. 6 of 2026
The Kerala High Court on Monday (March 2) directed the production of all records relating to the Global Ayyappa Sangamam conducted on September 29, 2025.
The Division Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar was considering a suo motu petition initiated on the basis of the Sabarimala Special Commissioner's report regarding the audited accounts of the Travancore Devaswom Board relating to the conduct of the event.
Another PIL Moved In Kerala High Court Seeking Removal Of 'Kerala' From Film Title 'Kerala Story 2'
Case Title: Chandramohan K.C. and Anr. v. Union of India and Ors.
Case No: WP(PIL) 49/2026
A public interest litigation has been moved before the Kerala High Court seeking a direction to re-title the movie 'The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond', which was released last week, so as not to include the words “Kerala”/ “Keralam”.
Case Title: Santon Lama v. State of Kerala and Ors.
Case No: WP (Crl) No. 1421/2025
The Kerala High Court has expressed serious concern over multiple procedural lapses by authorities in connection with the late Suraj Lama, an Indian citizen who was deported from Kuwait but went missing after arriving at Kochi.
The Division Bench comprising Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice M B Snehalatha was considering the matter in which it had earlier directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to continue its investigation, to document the sequence of events from the time of Lama's arrival to India until he was found dead.
Centre Notifies Permanent Appointments For 7 Additional Judges Of Kerala High Court
The Central Government on Monday (March 2) notified permanent appointments for seven additional judges to the Kerala High Court.
Seven Additional Judges Sworn-In As Permanent Judges Of Kerala High Court
Chief Justice of Kerala High Court, Justice Soumen Sen has administered the oath of office to seven newly-appointed permanent judges of the High Court
Case Title: Dr. Rasheed Ahammed P. and Anr. v. State of Kerala and Ors.
Case No: WP(C) 7090/2026
An interim application was filed by the State government seeking permission of the Kerala High Court to send 'Thank You' messages to the contributors of the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF).
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas on Wednesday (March 4) heard detailed arguments advanced by Advocate General (AG) Gopalakrishna Kurup against a plea alleging violation of privacy of government employees and judges by the State by sending bulk messages to their phone numbers, which was illegally accessed from SPARK [Service Pay Roll Administrative Repository for Kerala].
Case Title: Angel Sharon v. UT of Lakshadweep
Case No: WP(PIL) No. 43/2026
The Kerala High Court on Thursday (March 5) orally remarked that one day per week where vehicles are not plied is not a bad idea but the Wednesday might not be ideal since it is a working day.
Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. was considering a public interest litigation challenging the 'No Vehicle Wednesday' order recently passed by the Lakshadweep Administration.
Case Title: Rahul K T v St. Stephen's Malankara Catholic Church
Case No: RP1394/ 2025 in WP(C) 22750/ 2018
The Kerala High Court on Thursday (05 March) expressed dissatisfaction with the response filed by the Local Self Government Department (LSGD) regarding the removal of illegal boards, flags and other unauthorised installations from public spaces across the State.
Justice Devan Ramachandran was considering a review petition filed in connection with a plea against illegal and unauthorized flags and banners.
Case Title: Suo Motu v. State of Kerala and Ors.
Case No: SSCR No. 6 of 2026
The Kerala High Court on Thursday (05 March) directed the Auditor of Travancore Devaswom Board to file a statement detailing the anomalies, deficiencies and lapses noticed by him in the course of audits conducted over the years.
The Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar was considering a suo motu petition initiated on the basis of the Sabarimala Special Commissioner's report regarding the audited accounts of the Travancore Devaswom Board relating to the conduct of theGlobal Ayyappa Sangamam on September 29, 2025.
The Kerala High Court on Thursday (05 March) held a farewell reference to bid adieu to Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadikari, who was appointed as the chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
Justice Dharmadikari said that Kerala's highly active Bar and rights conscious citizenry reflected the state's vibrant democratic spirit.
Case Title: Treasa K J v State of Kerala
Case Number: RP 165/ 2026 in WP(C) NO. 23911 OF 2018
The Kerala High Court on Thursday (06 March) expressed serious concern over the lack of preparedness for the upcoming monsoon in the city.
The Court has also directed the District Collector to convene an urgent meeting of the District Collector's Committee within a week and ensure concrete steps are taken to make Kochi city monsoon-ready. It has further directed the Secretary of the Corporation to submit a report on the Preparedness of Corporation for the Monsoon Season.
Justice Devan Ramchandran was considering the review petition in a petition concerning the upkeep of Perandoor Canal.
Case Title: Antony Raju v. State of Kerala
Case No: Crl.M.C. No. 1627/2026
The Kerala High Court on Friday (March 6) reserved its verdict in the plea preferred by former MLA Antony Raju seeking to set aside the order of the District and Sessions Court, Thiruvananthapuram that rejected his application to quash his conviction in the Evidence Tampering case.
Justice C. Jayachandran today heard detailed arguments adduced on behalf of Senior Advocate P. Vijayabhanu, who appeared on behalf of Raju. Advocate Sajju S., Senior Public Prosecutor, appeared on behalf of the State. Journalist M.R. Ajayan filed an impleading petition and opposed the plea.
Case Title: Dr. Rasheed Ahammed P. and Anr. v. State of Kerala and Ors.
Case No: WP(C) 7090/2026
The Kerala High Court on Thursday (March 5) reserved its verdict in the plea alleging violation of privacy of government employees and judges by the State by sending bulk messages to their phone numbers, which was illegally accessed from SPARK [Service Pay Roll Administrative Repository for Kerala].
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas heard detailed arguments advanced by the Advocate General Gopalakrishna Kurup appearing for the State government.
Kerala High Court Notifies New Rules For Designating Senior Advocates
The Kerala High Court recently notified the new rules for designating senior advocates, namely, the High Court of Kerala (Designation of Senior Advocates) Rules, 2026, which are to come into force at once.
These Rules have replaced the High Court of Kerala (Designation of Senior Advocates) Rules, 2018 in view of the Supreme Court decision in Jitender @ Kalla v. State (Govt.) of NCT of Delhi & Anr. Last year, a draft was notified by the Court and suggestions invited from the Bar.
Case Title: Sreelekha R. v. State of Kerala and Anr.
Case No: Crl.MC 2092/2026
Former Director General of Police (DGP) and Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Councillor Sreelekha R. has moved the Kerala High Court seeking to quash an FIR registered against her for allegedly disclosing the the names of victims in three rape cases through her YouTube channel and blog.
Sreelekha is arrayed as the sole accused in a crime registered by the Museum Police for the offences punishable under Section 72 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita [Disclosure of identity of victim of certain offences, etc.] and for the offences under Section 23 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act [Procedure for media.].
Case Title : C R Neelakandan v Union of India and Ors.
Case No: WP(PIL) 15/ 2026
The Kerala High Court on Thursday (5 March) issued notice to the Digi Yatra Foundation in a public interest litigation (PIL) raising concerns over the protection of passengers' personal data collected at airports through digital systems such as Digi Yatra.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. was hearing a PIL which alleges potential risks in the collection, storage and processing of sensitive passenger data at airports across India.