Kerala High Court Allows K-Rail's JV To Participate In Redevelopment Tender, Criticises Southern Railway For Rejecting Bid Saving ₹25 Crore Public Money

The Kerala High Court has allowed MARYMATHA-KRDCL, a joint venture of K-Rail and Marymatha Infrastructure Private Limited (MIPL), to participate in a tender to re-develop Chengannur Railway Station after the Southern Railways rejected its technical bid on 'hyper-technical' grounds. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 490]The Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. dismissed...

Court Cannot Refuse To Number Suit With Electronic Signatures Merely Due To Lack Of Resources To Verify Them: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court held that if the electronic signatures affixed to the plaint and vakalath in a suit complied with the Electronic Filing Rules for Courts (Kerala), 2021, then the Courts cannot refuse to accept it merely because the Court does not have resources to verify the said signatures. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 488]Justice Easwaran S. issued the direction in an original petition which has challenged the refusal of the Principal Munsiff Court to number a suit since the Court did not have any...

Kerala High Court Asks Govt To Hear IMA, Indian Psychiatric Society Objections To Renaming Of Mental Health Centres As 'Wellness Centres'

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday (September 8) permitted the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) to raise their objection to the renaming of Mental Health Centres as 'Happiness and Wellness Centres' as notified by the State government.The Division Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Basant Balaji recorded the submissions made by Senior Advocate V.V. Asokan on behalf of IMA and IPS that the entities have some objections regarding the new name and that...

Kerala High Court Chief Justice Nominates Sr Adv Sumathi Dandapani, Adv Girija K. Gopal To Be Co-Opted To State Bar Council

The Kerala High Court Chief Justice has nominated Senior Advocate Sumathi Dandapani and Advocate Girija K. Gopal to be co-opted to the Bar Council of Keralam (BCK).The decision was made after considering the suggestions given by the elected members in a meeting convened to discuss the nomination of co-opted women members following recent Apex Court directions. Last month, the Supreme Court had directed that the two women members to be co-opted to State Bar Councils shall be nominated by the HC...

Kerala High Court Stays Trial In 2016 Puttingal Devi Temple Fireworks Tragedy Case

The Kerala High Court on Monday (07 September) stayed the trial in the Puttingal Devi Temple Fireworks Tragedy Case. Justice G. Girish issued the stay in a petition challenging the notification replacing the Special Public Prosecutor who was conducting the trial in the Additional Sessions Court - II, Kollam. The Public Prosecutor has sought a short period to submit the government's explanation regarding the reasons for replacing the Special Public Prosecutor and to produce the relevant...

Granddaughter Undergoing Studies Availing Loan Can't Be Expected To Maintain Pension-Drawing Grandmother: Kerala High Court

Kerala High Court recently held that a granddaughter, who is undergoing studies after availing a student loan, cannot be expected to maintain her pension-drawing grandmother. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 487]Justice Harisankar V. Menon dismissed an octogenarian's plea against her daughter-in-law and granddaughter seeking maintenance from them as per the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and...

Married Woman Voluntarily Accompanying Man To Hotel Can't Claim Sexual Relationship Was Induced Solely By Promise Of Marriage: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently quashed a criminal case against a man booked under Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for having sexual intercourse with a married woman allegedly on the promise of marriage.Justice Jobin Sebastian observed:“a married woman who voluntarily accompanies another man to a hotel room and has sexual intercourse with him cannot, merely on the basis of...

Rahul Easwar Moves Kerala High Court To Take Down Social Media Videos Containing 'Vulgar' Remarks About Lord Ayyappa, Malikappurathamma

Commentator and right-wing activist Rahul Easwar has moved the Kerala High Court seeking action against videos on social media platforms allegedly containing vulgar and sexually explicit remarks against Sabarimala deities Lord Ayyappa and Malikappurathamma.Easwar also sought a direction to the police authorities to act upon his complaint and register a formal criminal case against...

PIL Before Kerala High Court Raises Concerns About Police Complaints Authority, Non-Appointment Of Independent Investigator

A public interest litigation has been moved before the Kerala High Court raising concerns regarding the effective functioning of the State Police Complaints Authority (SPCA), an independent body constituted as per the Kerala Police Act, 2011 to consider complaints against police officersThe PIL also highlights the issue of non-appointment of an independent Chief Investigating Officer...

SC/ST Claimant's Inability To Prove Caste Not Enough To Deny Constitutional Benefits Unless State Shows Contrary Evidence: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has held that authorities scrutinising caste claims under the Kerala (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Regulation of Issue of Community Certificates Act, 1996 cannot insist that members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes discharge the same burden of proof ordinarily expected of citizens when establishing their community identity. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker)...

Kerala High Court Welcomes Renaming Of Mental Health Centres As 'Happiness And Wellness Centres', Seeks Infrastructure Upgrade

The Kerala High Court recently recorded with appreciation the State government's decision to re-name the Mental Health Centres as 'Happiness and Wellness Centres'.The Division Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Basant Balaji was informed about the decision by Advocate General K. Jaju Babu, who submitted that this was in consideration of the Bench's earlier order."We must say...

Kerala High Court Directs Fresh Consideration Of Actor Ansiba Hassan's Plea For Police Probe Against Lakshmi Priya Over Sexually Coloured Remarks

The Kerala High Court on Monday (September 7) asked the Magistrate to consider afresh the private complaint made by Drishyam actor Ansiba Hassan accusing actor Lakshmi Priya and two CAN Channel representatives of making sexually coloured remarks and circulating objectionable content against her.Justice Jobin Sebastian was considering Hassan's plea challenging an order of the Magistrate...