The Kerala High Court has held that a bona fide mistake in revised TRAN-1 and TRAN-2 forms cannot justify the denial of transitional Input Tax Credit when no tax evasion is alleged.

Justice Ziyad Rahman A. A. said courts should adopt a liberal approach under Article 226 in such matters.

The petitioner had disclosed only incremental credit while revising forms pursuant to directions of the Supreme Court of India. Authorities treated the revised forms as superseding the originals and denied the credit.

The Court quashed the assessment order and recovery notice, granting relief to the assessee.

[Pinnacle Motor Works Pvt. Ltd. v. Deputy Commissioner]

The Kerala High Court quashed criminal proceedings against a man accused under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act after finding no material to show that he induced or procured prostitution.

The Court held that merely availing the services of a sex worker does not attract offences under Sections 3, 5, or 7 of the Act unless there is evidence of inducement or involvement in running the brothel.

It noted that the prosecution had no case that the petitioner brought or compelled the women for prostitution. 

The Court therefore set aside all proceedings against him. 

The Kerala High Court has directed authorities to ensure that no new construction takes place in the prohibited area of the Kottooli wetlands in Kozhikode while the process to declare the site a Ramsar wetland is underway.

The Court observed that permitting permanent structures during the pendency of the designation process would defeat the objective of the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 and the Ramsar Convention, both aimed at safeguarding ecologically sensitive wetlands.

The Court also directed the State and Union governments to complete the Ramsar designation process within three months, stressing coordinated action.

Meanwhile, the authorities have been asked to strictly enforce restrictions. Existing constructions will be examined separately in the ongoing proceedings.

[Sarovaram Prakrithi Samrakshana Samiti v. Ministry of Environment & Forests & Climate Change & Ors.]

The Kerala High Court has admitted a petition seeking the eviction of Velankanni Matha Church, Munambam, from land alleged to be waqf property and issued notice to the concerned authorities and the church.

The petitioner claimed that the church had unlawfully occupied around two acres of waqf land, constructed permanent structures, and secured revenue and panchayat entries without valid title.

It was further alleged that despite directions from the district collector to inquire into the encroachment and take action, the tehsildar failed to act.

The petitioner also sought removal of the church buildings from the panchayat asset register and demolition of the alleged unauthorised constructions.

The Kerala High Court has dismissed a petition by two convicts, Rafi and Riaz alias Johny, seeking suspension of their life sentences and bail in the 1995 murder of DYFI activist A M Sakeer.

The division bench upheld the trial court’s conviction, finding no apparent error in the judgment and noting that the appellants could no longer claim the presumption of innocence. 

The murder occurred on the day Sakeer was elected student union chairman at Government Law College, and his father was also seriously assaulted.

Rafi and Riaz, who initially absconded, were later arrested, convicted in 2025 and sentenced to life imprisonment with fines.

The Kerala High Court has issued notice on a plea seeking cancellation of certification and a stay on the release of The Kerala Story 2 - Goes Beyond.

Filed by Sreedev Namboodiri from Kannur, the petition alleges the film unfairly links terrorism and forced conversions exclusively to Kerala, harming Malayali dignity and risking communal unrest.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas sought responses from the Central Board of Film Certification and producer Sunshine Pictures by February 24, 2026.

The plea claims the CBFC failed to consider public order concerns under the Cinematograph Act 1952 and alleges violation of Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution of India, seeking a title change and disclaimers.

[Sreedev Namboodiri v. UOI & Ors.]

The Kerala HC held that pleadings submitted through e-filing cannot carry signatures that are copied and pasted and must adhere to the Electronic Filing Rules for Courts (Kerala), 2021.

The matter came up after the Court noticed that a petition and affidavit placed before it appeared to contain electronically reproduced signatures and seals instead of proper digital authentication or physical signatures affixed before scanning and uploading.

The Court said Rule 6 requires either a valid digital signature, Aadhaar-based e-sign, OTP-based verification, or physical signatures on each page before scanning.

It directed the Registry not to accept pleadings with copy-paste signatures and instructed parties to retain original signed documents for verification when required. 

[MAT Agro Products Pvt Ltd v. The Manager, State Bank of India & Ors]

The Kerala High Court has held that an employer cannot reject an employee’s resignation merely citing financial crisis, observing that such refusal may amount to “bonded labour” under Article 23 of the Constitution.

Justice N. Nagaresh ruled that once a resignation complies with contractual terms, it must be accepted unless there are valid grounds like pending disciplinary proceedings or notice requirements.

The Court directed Traco Cable Company Limited to accept the resignation of its Company Secretary, clear salary arrears, and relieve him within two months.

[Greevas Job Panakkal v. Traco Cable Company Ltd. & Ors]

The Kerala High Court dismissed a husband’s appeal against a Family Court order directing him to return 40 sovereigns of his wife’s gold ornaments and pay maintenance.

The Court said it is common knowledge that after marriage, a bride’s gold is often entrusted to the husband or his relatives for safekeeping.

It found the wife’s version consistent and more probable, noting that the husband had not seriously disputed the quantity of gold given at the time of marriage.

The Court upheld the maintenance award but exonerated the husband’s mother from liability, finding no specific grounds to fasten responsibility on her.

[Nishad & Anr. v. Mumthaz Beegum & Connected Cases]

The Supreme Court of India has dismissed appeals in the 23-year-old death case of Telugu/Tamil actress Prathyusha, ruling out allegations of murder and rape.

A Bench of Justices Rajesh Bindal and Manmohan held that consistent eyewitness accounts and medical evidence established death by poisoning. The Court noted that Prathyusha and her boyfriend, Gudipalli Siddhartha Reddy, had consumed poison amid opposition to their relationship, though Reddy survived.

Rejecting the defence of accidental intake, the Court found Reddy guilty of abetment to suicide for procuring the poison and directed him to surrender within four weeks.

It also termed the postmortem conducted by Dr. Muni Swamy unprofessional.

[Gudipalli Siddharta Reddy v. State (C.B.I.)]

The Kerala High Court has set aside the State government’s order launching the “Nava Kerala – Citizen Response Program,” holding that the ₹20-crore allocation for the proposed household survey lacked mandatory financial sanction and breached State financial rules.

The Court observed that while the government is free to undertake welfare studies, public funds cannot be utilised without proper budgetary approval.

It found that the decision to proceed without sanction was unsustainable in law.

The survey was challenged in PILs as a politically motivated exercise ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections and as an intrusion into citizens’ privacy without statutory backing.

[Mubas v. State of Kerala & Anr.]

Elections to the Bar Council of Kerala will be held on April 17, 2026, from 10 AM to 5 PM across the State, as notified by a High-Powered Election Committee appointed by the SC.

The elections will fill 23 seats, with a mandatory 30% reservation for women in line with the SC’s interim directions. Of these, 12 seats are reserved for advocates with at least 10 years’ standing, 6 for other advocates, and 5 seats for women candidates.

The total Council strength remains 25, including two members to be co-opted by the BCI. The process begins with the provisional voters’ list on February 28. 

A non-refundable nomination fee of ₹1.25 lakh has been fixed as per the Court’s directions.

The Kerala High Court set aside the transfer of a KSRTC employee who was shifted from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod after publishing an article in a union journal on the Corporation’s financial condition.

The employer claimed the article spread misleading information and initiated disciplinary proceedings.

The Court held that while an employee can be transferred pending inquiry, such transfer must serve a legitimate purpose like preventing influence over witnesses or tampering with records.

Since the issue related only to authorship and content of the article, the Court found no such risk. It ruled that the transfer was punitive and arbitrary.

[Sivakumar S v. State of Kerala]

The Kerala High Court has upheld the shifting and consolidation of certain primary school classes in Lakshadweep, ruling that the Right to Education (RTE) requirement of having schools within “walking distance” cannot be interpreted rigidly.

The Court observed that the term “neighbourhood” must be understood contextually, taking into account geographical and local realities, especially in island territories.

Since the Central RTE Rules, 2010, do not precisely define “neighbourhood” or “walking distance,” appropriate authorities are permitted flexibility in implementation.

Holding that the administrative decision did not violate Section 6 of the RTE Act or Article 21A of the Constitution, the Court dismissed the students’ petitions.