The Kerala High Court quashed the FIR and all related proceedings against actress Lakshmi R. Menon and her co-accused in an alleged assault and abduction case, after noting that the dispute with the complainant had been amicably resolved.

Justice C.S. Dias allowed the plea for quashing, observing that both parties had executed an affidavit stating the incident arose from a misunderstanding and that the complainant did not wish to pursue the matter further.

The case stemmed from an August 24 altercation near a Kochi pub, where the complainant, an IT professional, alleged he was restrained and assaulted.

[Midhun Mohan v. State of Kerala and connected matters]

The Kerala High Court ruled that a Managing Director qualifies as an “employer” under Section 2(e) of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, and could be held liable under Section 20(2) for underpayment of wages.

The Deputy Labour Commissioner had initiated proceedings against a company and its former Managing Director for paying below-minimum wages to 19 employees in 2018.

The director argued he had resigned and transferred his shares before the recovery order. The Court rejected this defence, noting he exercised control and supervision over employees at the relevant time, and dismissed the writ petition holding him personally responsible for compliance.

[Bhavesh Anil Kumar v The Assistant Labour Officer and Another]

The Kerala High Court was informed that the Bar Council of India (BCI) has granted interim approval to the State government’s proposal to create two additional seats for transgender students in all law colleges across Kerala.

The Court noted that the approval followed its earlier direction to the BCI to act on the government’s proposal, which had been pending since August.

The development arose from a petition filed by a transgender student who, despite qualifying for admission, was denied a seat owing to the lack of a reservation category for transgender persons.

The Court scheduled the case for further hearing to issue directions to universities.

The Kerala High Court issued an interim order restraining physiotherapists and occupational therapists from using the prefix “Dr.” unless they possess a recognised medical qualification.

The order came in response to a petition challenging the alleged misuse of the title by professionals who do not hold degrees under the Indian Medical Council Act or equivalent statutory frameworks.

The Court observed that the petitioner had established a prima facie case warranting intervention and directed the concerned authorities to ensure compliance with the order until further directions are issued.

The matter is scheduled to be heard again on December 1, 2025, for further consideration of regulatory implications.

The Kerala High Court bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji laid down a 15-point framework to enhance the juvenile justice system and safeguard children’s rights.

The Court directed the State to fill vacancies in child protection bodies within four weeks, reconstitute Child Welfare Committees and Juvenile Justice Boards within eight weeks, and ensure annual reports are published on time.

The High Court also ordered the framing of SOPs for Child Care Institution inspections, uploading data of missing children on the Mission Vatsalya portal, forming Special Juvenile Police Units, and conducting annual social audits.

[Suo Motu v. State of Kerala & Ors.]

The Kerala High Court has held that court fees under Section 6(1) of the Kerala Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1959, are payable only on the principal relief and not on consequential or ancillary claims.

Justice P. Krishna Kumar set aside a Munsiff Court order directing the plaintiff to amend the plaint and pay fees based on a subsequent sale deed’s higher valuation.

The petitioner had sought a permanent prohibitory injunction and later added a declaration that two sale deeds were null and void. The Court observed that the second deed’s validity depended entirely on the first, making the relief ancillary.

[Madathil Pakruti v T P Kunjanandan & Anr.]

The Kerala High Court held that a Muslim man’s second marriage cannot be registered under The Kerala Registration of Marriages (Common) Rules 2008, without notifying and hearing his first wife.

Justice PV Kunhikrishnan ruled that while Muslim personal law allows multiple marriages, constitutional principles of equality and fairness must prevail.

The Court said if the first wife objects, the registrar must stop proceedings and refer the matter to a civil court to determine the marriage’s validity.

The Court added that gender equality and natural justice require allowing the first wife to be heard before registration.

The Kerala High Court celebrated its 70th Establishment Day and Kerala Day by launching a Malayalam Legal Glossary containing 6,375 legal terms.

Released by Chief Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar, the glossary aims to promote clarity, accuracy, and uniformity in Malayalam legal terminology, aiding translation of judgments into Malayalam for wider public access.

The event also marked the full implementation of the e-Office system across all courts in Kerala and Lakshadweep, enabling paperless file management. Additionally, the Court launched Adalat.AI, a voice-to-text tool for recording witness statements digitally, streamlining case documentation and accessibility. 

The Kerala High Court, led by Chief Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar, has launched “SheBoX,” an online portal that allows women employees to file workplace sexual harassment complaints.

Introduced on Kerala Piravi Day and the Court’s 70th Establishment Day, the initiative strengthens internal grievance redressal under the POSH Act, 2013, and has been developed entirely by women engineers from the Court’s IT Directorate.

The portal enables direct submission of complaints to the Internal Complaints Committee. Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque, Chairperson of the Computerisation Committee, highlighted that the portal promotes gender sensitivity and digital transparency within the judiciary.

The launch reaffirms the Court’s commitment to safety, accountability, and inclusive governance.

The Kerala High Court acquitted Parimal Sahu, a migrant worker from Assam, who had been sentenced to death for the 2018 rape and murder of a 60-year-old widow.

 The Bench held that the testimony of the victim’s intellectually disabled son was inadmissible since no voir dire test was conducted to assess his competence.

The Court also ruled that Sahu’s alleged confession to doctors was inadmissible under Section 26 of the Evidence Act, as it was made while in police custody.

The Court, observing that forensic evidence failed to link Sahu to the crime, set aside his conviction and death sentence.

[State of Kerala v Parimal Sahu]

The Kerala High Court dismissed a petition filed by the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association challenging the 2025 amendment to the Kerala Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, which substantially increased court fees.

The Association contended that the hike ranging from 400% to 9900% contravened the Supreme Court’s observations on the affordability of justice and curtailed public access to courts.

However, the Bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji held that the revision was necessary and justified, considering inflation, the devaluation of the rupee, and the rising administrative expenses of the judiciary.

[Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association v State of Kerala & Ors.]

The Kerala High Court dismissed a plea filed under Section 57 of the Trade Marks Act 1999 seeking cancellation of the registered trademark “India Gate” owned by KRBL Limited.

The Court held that it lacked territorial jurisdiction to entertain the petition, since the mark was registered with the Delhi Trade Marks Registry, and clarified that only the High Court exercising authority over the place of registration could hear such matters.

The Bench also noted that the petition was premature, as no finding regarding the validity of the trademark had yet been made by the Delhi Court where the dispute was pending.

[M/s KRBL Limited v Union of India & Ors]

The Kerala High Court has modified two bail conditions imposed on rapper Vedan in a sexual harassment case. Previously, Vedan was barred from leaving Kerala and was required to appear before the Investigating Officer every Sunday. These restrictions have now been lifted.

However, he must continue to report to the Investigating Officer whenever required and must provide prior intimation if he intends to travel abroad. This modification allows Vedan to proceed with his scheduled international music tour between November 23 and December 20.

[Hirandas V.M. v State of Kerala]

The Kerala High Court directed the Bar Council of India (BCI) to approve the creation of two additional seats for transgender students in all law colleges across Kerala within ten days.

The order came while hearing a petition filed by a transgender candidate who was denied admission owing to the absence of a separate category or reservation.

The petitioner contended that such exclusion violated constitutional guarantees and the Supreme Court’s NALSA judgment recognising transgender rights. Holding that the matter involved urgent enforcement of equality principles.

The Court directed the BCI to grant immediate approval for the additional seats and ensure non-discriminatory access to legal education.