Kerala High Court Issues Comprehensive Directions to Stop Cloth Dumping In Pampa River During Sabarimala Season

The Kerala High Court on Friday (28 November) has issued a set of directives to curb the widespread practice of dumping clothes along the banks of the Pampa river.The Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K.V. Jayakumar passed the order while considering a suo motu proceeding initiated on the basis of a report submitted by the Sabarimala Special...

Sabarimala Gold Theft Case: Kerala High Court Reserves Verdict In Pre-Arrest Bail Pleas Of Former Devaswom Board Officials

The Kerala High Court on Friday (November 28) reserved its verdict in the anticipatory bail pleas of former Travancore Devaswom Board officials, S. Jayasree and S. Sreekumar, who are arraigned as the 4th and 6th accused in the Sabarimala Gold theft case. The interim protection from arrest would remain until the judgments are pronounced.Justice A. Badharudeen today conducted the...

Kerala High Court Recalls Witnesses Cross-Examined By Accused Himself After Lawyer Quit, Cites Violation Of Right To Fair Trial

The Kerala High Court, in a recent judgment, allowed a prayer for the recall of two prosecution witnesses, who were cross-examined by the accused himself without a counsel present.Justice V.G. Arun opined that the trial court ought to have made the accused aware of his right to be defended by a State-appointed lawyer when his former lawyer relinquished vakalath.Referring to Section 304 of...

Income Tax Act | SBI Not 'Assessee In Default' U/S 201 For Not Deducting TDS While Obeying Court's Interim Order: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has held that the State Bank of India (SBI) cannot be treated as an 'assessee in default' under Section 201 of the Income Tax Act for not deducting Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) on Leave Travel Concession (LTC) payments, as it was bound by an interim order which prohibited such deduction. Justices A. Muhamed Mustaque and Harisankar V. Menon examined whether the...

Kerala High Court Directs State To Frame Guidelines For Appointment Of Public Prosecutors Under S.18(3) BNSS

The Kerala High Court has directed the State to frame guidelines on appointment of Public Prosecutors under Section 18(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.The division bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Syam Kumar V M, issued the direction while considering a public interest litigation alleging that the State Government has failed to comply...

'Lethargy Slowly Creeping In': Kerala High Court Criticises Delay In Removal Of Legacy Waste And Opening Of New Plant In Brahmapuram

The Kerala High Court on Thursday (November 27) pulled up the Cochin Corporation regarding the delay in the removal of legacy waste and opening of the new bio-mining plant at Brahmapuram in Ernakulam district.The Division Bench comprising Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas and Justice Gopinath P., which was specially constituted to monitor waste management in the State, orally remarked that...

Actress Assault Case: Kerala High Court Seeks Progress On 5 FIRs Registered In 2022 Based On Actor Dileep's Plea Against Media Trial

The Kerala High Court on Friday (November 28) directed the State to take instructions regarding progress in the five FIRs registered pursuant to its order in Malayalam cine actor Dileep's plea against media violating bar on publication, broadcast and telecast of trial proceedings in the actress assault case.When the matter came for consideration before Justice C. Pratheep Kumar today, the...

Renjith Johnson Murder: Kerala High Court Confirms Life Term Of 5, Acquits 2; Says TIP Not Needed If Witness Sufficiently Saw Accused

The Kerala High Court on Thursday (27 November) upheld the conviction of five accused in the 2018 abduction and murder of Renjith Johnson, after observing that the failure to hold a test identification parade would not make testimony of Johnson's mother inadmissible who was stated to have seen the accused.The court thus said that prior TIP is not needed when the witness has had sufficient...

Kerala High Court Directs Emergency Electric Fencing At Tribal School Amid Rising Human–Wildlife Conflict

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday (26 November) issued directions to fortify the Aralam Model Residential School (MRS) with electric fencing, citing the escalating human–wildlife conflict in the Aralam Farm and TRDM (Tribal Rehabilitation Development Mission) areas in light of the relocation of 257 students and 47 teachers to the farm.The Court had earlier expressed concern over the...

"Egregious": Kerala High Court Issues Directions After Report Of Pedestrian Deaths On Zebra Crossings, Says They Have Right Of First Access

The Kerala High Court on Thursday (November 27) expressed shock over reports in a Malayalam newspaper that 218 pedestrians have died on zebra crossings in the State between January 1 and October 31, 2025.Justice Devan Ramachandran, while considering a matter concerning road safety and Zebra crossing observed: “This is extremely shocking and egregiously distressing!”The Court took note of...

Right To Maintenance Under Muslim Women Protection Act Not Defeated By Wife's Remarriage During Trial: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has held that the prolonged pendency of a petition filed under Section 3(1) of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 cannot deprive a woman of the benefits that accrued to her on the date of divorce, even if she remarried during the proceedings.Dr. Justice Kauser Edappagath delivered the judgment while dismissing a revision petition and an...

Kerala High Court Questions Catholic Congress' Locus To Appeal Against Haal Movie, Verdict Reserved

The Kerala High Court on Thursday (November 27) reserved its verdict in an appeal preferred by the Catholic Congress against a Single Judge's direction to CBFC to reconsider A-certification granted to 'Haal' film, without deleting some scenes depicting the Bishop.The Christian outfit argues that the film depicts the Bishop of Thamarassery as a supporter of inter-faith marriages, when his...