Kerala High Court Directs Deepika Daily's Editor To Furnish Explanation Regarding Misleading Report On Court Order
K. Salma Jennath
22 March 2026 9:15 AM IST
The Kerala High Court on Thursday (March 19) issued notice to Malayalam daily Deepika for publishing a misleading report while hearing a public interest litigation filed by lawyer and Congress politician Shaji J. Kodankandath.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. also directed the editor to give an explanation for reporting that the Court directed to conduct an enquiry regarding the purchase of digital survey equipment when, in fact, no such order was passed.
The Registrar General of the High Court had received a letter addressed by CPI MLA and Minister for Revenue and Housing of Kerala K. Rajan raising a grievance regarding statements made by Kodankandath at a press conference and reported in Deepika with a headline, which translates to “High Court directed to conduct enquiry regarding the purchase of digital survey equipment.”
The Court also asked Kodankandath to file an affidavit explaining whether such a statement was made by him at the press conference.
It passed an interim order:
“We take serious note of the said fact, as we have not passed any such orders. We issue notice to the Editor of Deepika Daily and call for an affidavit regarding the publication of the said news item. Similarly, we direct the petitioner to file an affidavit explaining whether any such statement was made by him at the press conference… Considering the gravity of the matter, let it be listed on 26.03.2026. The Registry shall immediately issue notice to the Editor of Deepika Daily, with intimation that the Editor shall appear along with an affidavit on the scheduled date. The petitioner shall also file an affidavit in the meantime…”
A month back, when the PIL had come up for admission, the Court had passed an interim order directing the Senior Government Pleader to file a report in the form of an affidavit detailing the steps taken by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau Director, the Superintendent of Police and the Inspector of Police with respect to an investigation report 20.06.2024.
Case No: WP(PIL) No. 37/2026
Case Title: Shaji J. Kodankandath v. State of Kerala and Ors.