Kerala High Court Disposes Of Plea To Block Telegram After Petitioner Agrees To Approach Grievance Officer Under IT Rules 2021

The Kerala High Court recently disposed a Public Interest Litigation seeking to block access to the instant messaging service 'Telegram' in India for hosting obscene and vulgar content featuring children and women and for promoting terrorism. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mr.S.Manikumar And Justice Murali Purushothaman disposed of the PIL on the submission of the Central...

Application For Condonation Of Delay Not Required When Victim Appeals Against Acquittal, Affidavit Explaining Delay Sufficient: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday held that when a victim belatedly files an appeal against a judgement of acquittal, it is not essential to file an application for condonation of delay and that an affidavit explaining the delay would suffice. The court also held that it is not necessary for the appellate court to pass a specific order in relation to the delay.A single bench of Justice...

Prescribing Qualifications In Addition To UGC's Minimum Qualification For Teaching Posts To ‘Uplift Education Quality’ Constitutional: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently upheld the constitutional validity of Section 45A of the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies Act, 2010 (KUFOS Act) on the ground that the qualifications for teaching posts prescribed in addition to the UGC Regulations is for uplifting the quality of education.A single bench of Justice Sathish Ninan was considering a plea challenging the...

Brahmapuram Fire | State Or Cochin Corporation Can File Separate Application Against NGT Order, Will Consider Objectively: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday observed that if the State government or the Kochi Municipal Corporation was aggrieved by the imposition of Rs. 100 crore on the Corporation by the National Green Tribunal, they could approach the Court by way of an application against the same. Assuaging the concerns of the Advocate General, who made mention of a particular paragraph in the NGT order that he...

'Brahmapuram Fire Indicator Of Lurking Disasters': Kerala High Court To Monitor Implementation Of Solid Waste Management Rules

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday declared that it would be monitoring the implementation of the Solid Waste Management and Handling Rules, 2016 in the state. The court was hearing the suo motu proceedings initiated by it in the wake of the fire at the Brahmapuram Solid Waste Management Plant. The division bench of Justice S.V. Bhatti and Justice Basant Balaji ordered that the first phase of...

Enacting Movie Scene Doesn't Mean Actors Actually Consumed MDMA: Kerala High Court Quashes NDPS Case Against Makers Of 'Nalla Samayam'

The Kerala High Court recently quashed the criminal proceedings that had been initiated against the Director and Producer of the Malayalam movie 'Nalla Samayam' on the allegation that trailer of the movie depicted a scene wherein one of the characters lauded MDMA to give energy and happiness to users. Justice V.G. Arun observed that Section 27 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic...

Preventive Detention Order Can Be Passed Against Person Already In Judicial Custody On Subjective Satisfaction Of Detaining Authority: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently held that an order of preventive detention can be passed against a person already in judicial custody if the detaining authority is satisfied of its necessity.A division bench comprising of Justice Alexander Thomas and Justice C.S. Sudha held that based on parameters such as the immediate possibility of release of the detenu from judicial custody and if released...

Plea In Kerala High Court Challenges Delay By Lok Ayukta In Passing Verdict On Matter Reserved For Orders One Year Ago

A plea has been filed in the Kerala High Court challenging the "unexplained" delay by the Lok Ayukta in passing verdict in a matter which was heard and reserved for orders on March 18, 2022. The petitioner, R.S. Sasikumar, had approached the Lok Ayukta under Section 9(1) of the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act, challenging the Cabinet decision taken on July 27, 2017, to give financial aid to the families...

Senior Advocate & Former Advocate General Of Kerala K.P. Dandapani Passes Away

Senior Advocate and former Advocate General of Kerala K.P. Dandapani passed away on Tuesday.He served as the Advocate General of Kerala from 2011 to 2016, during the tenure of the UDF Government. An alumnus of St. Albert's College and Government Law College, Ernakulam, the senior lawyer had enrolled as an Advocate and joined the Bar in the year 1968. He had been appointed as an Additional...

‘Practising Christian, Not A Scheduled Caste Member’: Kerala High Court Annuls CPM MLA A Raja's Election From Reserved Constituency

The Kerala High Court on Monday declared CPM candidate A. Raja's 2021 election from the Devikulam Assembly constituency as void. Justice P. Somarajan said Raja is not a member of 'Hindu Parayan' within the State of Kerala and thus not qualified to be chosen to fill the Devikulam Assembly constituency that had been reserved for Scheduled Caste among Hindus.Factual MatrixThe petitioner, D....

[Kerala Wetland Act] Property Cannot Be Termed 'Paddy Land' For Sole Reason That It Is Lying Fallow: High Court

The Kerala High Court recently reiterated that a property cannot be termed as paddy land under the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008 for the sole reason that property is lying as fallow. The court observed that the Revenue Divisional Officer must also be satisfied that the land is suitable for paddy cultivation apart from it being fallow, for it to fall under the...

Media Or Govt Agencies Have No Right To Peep Into Private Lives Of Citizens Without Any Valid Reason: Kerala High Court Slams Online Media Channels

The Kerala High Court recently came down heavily on certain online media channels for broadcasting private moments of a woman and said it is disheartening to note that some online news channels "are in the habit of publishing sleaze more than news."A single bench of Justice VG Arun while criticising the recent media trend of publishing private content of individuals in the name of...