Sabarimala Gold Theft: Jeweller Roddam Govardhan Moves Kerala High Court Seeking Bail, Claims SIT Forcibly Took His Gold

Roddam Pandurangaiah Naga Govardhan, one of the accused persons in the high-profile Sabarimala gold theft case, has moved the Kerala High Court seeking bail.He is arrayed in both the crimes registered by the Crime Branch regarding the misappropriation of gold from the dwarapalaka idols and the doorframes/lintels of the Sreekovil in Sabarimala.The prosecution allegation was that the accused persons conspired together to extract around 409 grams of gold and converted the same into gold bars. The...

Vehicles Owned By Third-Party Contractors Can't Be Mechanically Confiscated Under Conservation Of Paddy Land Act: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has held that vehicles owned by third-party contractors cannot be mechanically confiscated under the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008, unless there is a finding of knowledge or connivance in the illegal reclamation of paddy land.A Division Bench comprising Justice A Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Harisankar V Menon allowed a writ appeal filed by a JCB excavator owner whose vehicle had been confiscated for allegedly being used in unlawful reclamation of...

Kerala High Court Weekly Round-Up: December 15 - December 21, 2025

Nominal Index [Citations: 2025 LiveLaw (Ker) 824 - 837]B.K.N. Pillai @ B.K. Narayana Pillai v. State of Kerala and Ors., 2025 LiveLaw (Ker) 824V.P. Abdurahiman v. C. Safiya, 2025 LiveLaw (Ker) 825The Authorised Officer, South Indian Bank and Anr. v. Sheela Francis Parakkal and Ors., 2025 LiveLaw (Ker) 826The South Indian Bank Limited v. Income Tax Officer, 2025 LiveLaw (Ker)...

NDPS Act | Kerala High Court Grants Bail To Tanzanian Nationals, Cites Lack Of Materials Connected To Offence Except Financial Transaction

The Kerala High Court recently granted bail to two Tanzania nationals, who are accused under the NDPS Act after noting that they have no criminal antecedents and that the only material produced by prosecution in the Final Report to connect them with the offence was financial transaction.Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas found that the rigour under Section 37 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act were diluted in the said circumstances. The grounds of arrest were not communicated...

Fresh Arbitration Notice is Mandatory For Second Round Of Arbitration After Earlier Award Is Set Aside: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has held that a fresh arbitration notice under section 21 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (Arbitration Act) is mandatory for initiating a second round of arbitral proceedings after an earlier arbitral award has been set aside even when the award was declared as a nullity due to invalid appointment of the arbitrator. Justice S. Manu while...

Sabarimala Greenfield Airport: Kerala High Court Sets Aside Land Acquisition Steps For Non-Compliance With 2013 Act Safeguards

The Kerala High Court recently set aside the government's preliminary notification and other steps taken for acquiring 2570 acres of the land for the Sabarimala Greenfield Project.Justice C. Jayachandran allowed the writ petition preferred by the Ayana Charitable Trust and its Managing Trustee challenging the notification as well as the Social Impact Assessment report, Expert Group...

Levy Of Service Tax On 'Access To Amusement Facilities' Unconstitutional: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court held that the levy of service tax on 'access to amusement facilities' is unconstitutional, as the entire activity squarely falls within the State's taxing power under Entry 62 of List II (entertainments and amusements) of the Constitution of India.Justices A. Muhamed Mustaque and Harisankar V. Menon stated that the provisions of the Entertainments Tax Act also seek to...

Customs Act | Penalty Cannot Be Sustained Solely On S. 108 Statements Without Compliance Of S. 138B: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court held that statements recorded under S. 108 of the Customs Act cannot form the basis for imposing penalties unless the mandatory procedural safeguards under Section 138B are complied with.Justices A. Muhamed Mustaque and Harisankar V. Menon opined that Section 138B is essentially in the form of a procedural safeguard regarding the admission of statements under Section 108...

Elappully Brewery Case: Kerala High Court Quashes Govt Order Granting Preliminary Sanction To Private Company To Set Up Ethanol Plant

The Kerala High Court on Friday (December 19) quashed the government order that gave preliminary sanction to M/s Oasis Commercial Pvt. Ltd. to set up a brewery plant in Palakkad's Elappully grama panchayat.The Division Bench of Justice Satish Ninan and Justice P. Krishna Kumar today allowed a batch of public interest litigations filed by the residents of Elappully. The Bench found that...

Kerala High Court Directs Suchithwa Mission To Frame Sustainable Sanitation Plan For Chottanikkara Temple

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday (17 December) directed the Suchithwa Mission, the State's nodal agency for sanitation and waste management, to play a proactive role in restoring and maintaining cleanliness at the Chottanikkara Bhagavathi Temple, following serious concerns over environmental and public health issues in and around the temple premisesA Division Bench comprising Justice...

'Left Alone To Endure An Unspeakable Destiny': Kerala High Court Flags Systemic Failure In Handling Of Deported Indian Citizen

The Kerala High Court has expressed concern over the manner in which the authorities have handled Suraj Lama, an Indian citizen deported from Kuwait who allegedly went missing after landing at Kochi International Airport.A Division Bench comprising Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice M B Snehalatha, while considering a habeas corpus petition filed by the son of the missing person observed...

Masala Bonds Case: Kerala High Court Reserves Verdict On ED's Appeal Against Stay Of Show Cause Notice To KIIFB

The Kerala High Court on Friday (19 December) reserved judgment in an appeal preferred by the Enforcement Directorate against a Single judge's interim order staying the show cause notice issued against Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA), relating to the utilisation of funds raised through masala bond.The Division...