No Disability Pension Where Condition Not Attributable To Military Service: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently dismissed a writ petition challenging the order of the Armed Forces Tribunal that rejected an ex-serviceman's application against non-grant of disability pension for Generalised Anxiety Disorder.The Division Bench of Justice K. Natarajan and Justice Johnson John held that the presumptions under the Entitlement Rules for Casualty Pensionary Awards, 1982 regarding the sound mental condition of a member upon entering service do not come in when the medical assessment...

Kerala High Court Seeks State's Stand In Plea Challenging Appointment Of Ex-CM VS Achuthanandan's Son As IHRD Director

A plea has been filed before the Kerala High Court challenging the appointment of Dr. V.A. Arun Kumar as the Director In-Charge of the Institute of Human Resources Development. Dr. Arun Kumar is the son of the late former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthananthan.This is the second such plea challenging his appointment. The petition is filed by Dr. Vinu Thomas, Dean (Academic) and Controller Of Examinations (In Charge), APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University.Last year, a Single Bench of the Court had...

Kerala High Court Mulls Introduction Of Spot Booking Passes & Virtual Queue For Monthly Poojas In Sabarimala

The Kerala High Court on Thursday (February 4) mulled introducing a virtual queue or spot booking system for permitting devotees into Sabarimala temple for monthly poojas.The Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar referred to an earlier order in another suo motu petition, wherein the Chief Coordinator of the police team and the Travancore Devaswom Board were directed to ensure that only persons holding valid Virtual Queue or spot booking passes on a...

Kerala High Court Closes PIL Seeking Compliance On Road Standards For Pedestrian Safety

The Kerala High Court has recently (29 January) closed a public interest litigation which has raised concerns regarding the pedestrian safety alongside the roads.The division bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M disposed of the petition. The public interest litigation has sought various reliefs, including a direction to the State of Kerala, the NHAI and the Kerala Road Safety Authority to comply with the guidelines issued by the Indian Road Congress with respect...

Matsyafed Is 'Financing Bank' Under Kerala Co-operative Societies Act, Consultation Mandatory Before Supersession: High Court

The Kerala High Court has held that Matsyafed, the State Co-operative Federation for Fisheries Development Limited, is a financing bank within the meaning of Section 32(2) of the Kerala Co-operative Societies Act, 1969.According to Section 32(2), the Registrar of the Co-operative Societies shall consult the financing bank and Circle Co-operative Union or State Co-operative union, as the case may be, before passing an order under Section 32(1) for superseding a Committee. Justice K Babu, was...

Custodial Death Compensation: Kerala High Court Closes Suo Motu Case As State Finalises SOP For Collection Of Prisoners' Legal Heirs Data

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday (04 February) disposed of the suo motu proceedings on custodial deaths and compensation to the legal heirs of the deceased inmates as the State informed that the Standard operating Procedure (SOP) for collection of data has been finalised.The division bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M disposed of the petition. The Court had previously directed the State government to develop a database on the legal heirs of prison...

Ensure Continuous Drinking Water Supply To Residents Of West Kochi: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently considered a public interest litigation filed by a resident of the western side of Kochi highlighting the acute shortage of drinking water in the area.The PIL sought directions from the Court to the Chairman/Additional Secretary of Water Resources, the Chief Engineer as well as the Assistant Executive Engineer of the Kerala Water Authority to ensure proper supply of water to the people of West Kochi, Chellanam Panchayath, Kumbalangi Panchayath and 30 wards of the...

Maternity Leave Is A Right, Cannot Be Clubbed With Regular Leaves To Cancel Candidature: Kerala High Court Grants Relief To NBEMS Trainee

The Kerala High Court recently held that maternity leave is a right and the same cannot be clubbed with the other regular leaves taken by a National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) Trainee to cancel her candidature.Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas was considering a plea preferred by a NBEMS Trainee, who got selected in the NEET Super Specialty Examination (NEET-SS) for a DrNB...

Kerala High Court Dismisses Journalist MR Ajayan's Review Plea, Upholds ₹40K Cost For Moving Vacation Bench Without Urgency

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday (03 February) dismissed a review petition filed by M R Ajayan, a freelance journalist, against an order of the vacation bench, imposing costs which amounted to a total of Rs 40,000.A division bench comprising Dr Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Jobin Sebastian dismissed the review petition challenging an interim order of the Vacation bench of...

Quantity Of Contraband Seized In NDPS Cases Must Be Specified For Effective Communication Of Grounds Of Arrest: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has reiterated that the quantity of contraband seized as per the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act) has to be specified for an effective communication of grounds of arrest to an accused.Dr. Justice Kauser Edappagath relied on various precedents laid down by the Apex Court, including Pankaj Bansal v. Union of India and Others, Prabir Purkayastha...

'How Is Fair Trial Affected By A Movie?': Kerala High Court Questions Plea To Stall Film Allegedly Inspired By Venjaramoodu Mass Murder

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday (February 3) questioned the plea preferred by the father of the accused in the Venjaramoodu Mass Murder case challenging the theatrical release of the Malayalam movie Kaalam Paranja Kadha, which is stated to be inspired by the sensational murder case.When the matter came up for admission, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas expressed his disinclination to prevent...

Kerala High Court Monthly Digest: January 2026 [Citations: 1 - 62]

Nominal Index: [Citations: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 1 - 62]Binu Surendran and Anr. v. V. Vijayakumar and Ors. and connected cases, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 1Praveen@ Poocha Praveen v. State of Kerala, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 2Green Roots Nature Conservation Forum and Anr v. Government of India and Ors. and connected case, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 3Sidharth K. Bhattathiri v. Union Of India, 2026 LiveLaw (Ker)...