Kerala High Court Directs State To Establish 3 New NDPS Courts By September 10 To Address High Pendency Of Cases

The Kerala High Court on Friday (August 21) directed the State to establish three new NDPS courts at Thrissur, Palakkad, and Manjeri by September 10.It has also directed the State to engage permanent staff for the newly established NDPS courts in Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram by the said date.The Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice C. Jayachandran today expressed concern over the delay on the part of the State government in establishing the new courts, taking note of the...

Madras High Court Closes Dravidar Kazhagam Plea After Police Grants Permission For Anti-NEET, EWS Bike Rally

The Madras High Court has closed the plea filed by the Dravidar Kazhagam party seeking permission to conduct a bike rally against NEET and EWS in the State of Tamil Nadu. [2026 LiveLaw (Mad) 403]Justice V Lakshminarayanan closed the plea after taking note of the State's submission that the police officials on the route of the rally have granted permission. “The State Public Prosecutor submits that the police officials situated on route of the rally have all granted permission to the petitioner...

Need Policy For Care Of Children With Chronic Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: Kerala High Court Suggests Centre-State Meeting

The Kerala High Court has suggested a joint meeting between the Central and State Governments to formulate a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the care, rehabilitation and palliative support of children with chronic neurodevelopmental disabilities.A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V. M. while hearing public interest litigation observed that both governments are stakeholders in developing an effective policy and implementation...

Mere Protesting Or Using Bad Language Does Not Constitute Obstruction Of Public Servant: Himachal Pradesh High Court

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has held that mere protest or use of intemperate language against a public servant, in the absence of any overt act that actually obstructs the discharge of official duties, does not constitute an offence under Section 186 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Court observed that while “obstruction” need not necessarily be physical, the prosecution must establish an act involving force, threat, or an actual effect of preventing the public servant from carrying out...

Karnataka High Court Closes DRDO Officers' Quash Plea In Case Over Disappearance Of 21 Stray Dogs; Chargesheet Filed

The Karnataka High Court has disposed of a petition filed by two Estate Officers of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in connection with a case concerning the disappearance of 21 stray dogs from the DRDO campus in Bengaluru, after noting that the investigation has been completed and the chargesheet filed. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 312]The single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna recorded that one of the petitioners, Rakesh Kumar Sahu, has been dropped from the array of...

Contradictory Doctor Testimony In POCSO Case Prompts Madras High Court To Order Guidelines For Medical Witnesses

After taking note of contradictory testimony of a Doctor in a POCSO case, the Madras High Court recently directed the Secretary to Government, Health and Family Welfare Department and the Director of Medical Education to issue a comprehensive circular/guideline to all Government Medical Colleges, Government Hospitals, etc, detaling the duties and responsibilities of Government medical professionals while acting as expert witnesses before court in POCSO cases [2026 LiveLaw (Mad) 402] ...

Litigant Should Not Suffer For Counsel's Lapse: Gauhati High Court Restores Appeal Dismissed For Non-Prosecution

The Gauhati High Court has reiterated that a litigant should not suffer due to the negligence of his counsel, while restoring an appeal dismissed for non-prosecution and condoning a delay of 123 days in seeking its restoration.Justice Pranjal Das observed, “The decision in Solim Manyu Vs. Benglum Manyu, CRP/21(AP)/2025 and N. Balakrishnan Vs. M. Krishnamurty reported in (1998) 7 SCC 123, would not come in the way of this revisional court approaching the matter in a justice-oriented manner,...

2003 Muthanga Land Struggle Case: Kerala High Court Suspends Sentences Of Four Convicts

The Kerala High Court on Friday (August 21) suspended the sentences of four persons convicted in connection with the 2003 Muthanga land struggle case, involving a violent clash between police and Adivasi protesters during an eviction drive at the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary in Wayanad.Justice A. Badharudeen passed the order in the criminal appeals fiiled by convicts, challenging their conviction and sentence. The Court had earlier orally expressed concern over the manner in which the Sessions...

'Appalling Apathy': Bombay High Court Pulls Up State Over Failure To Protect Children Walking Through Wildlife-Prone Areas To Reach School

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday (August 19) slammed the Maharashtra Government for its 'appalling apathy' in not taking any effective steps for the protection of around 228 school going children, who walk almost 30 kilometres daily from the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) and are exposed to possible wild animals attack. A division bench of Justice Sharmila Deshmukh and Justice Neeraj Dhote noted that at least 228 students are compelled to walk for nearly four hours a day to reach their schools...

Bombay High Court Allows Day-Care Centre In Residential Flat To Continue For 6 Weeks, Asks MHADA To Decide 'Change User' Plea

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday (August 19) directed the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) to allow a pre-school and day care centre to operate from a residential apartment at least for the time till the authority decides the 'change of user' application filed by the said pre-school. A division bench of Justice Makarand Karnik and Justice Sandesh Patil has protected from eviction till six weeks, the HMI Learning Private Limited, which provides day-care and...

Employer Cannot Constitute Its Own Appellate Authority Under POSH Act: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court has held that Section 18 of the POSH Act read with Rule 11 of the POSH Rules does not confer any authority or jurisdiction on an employer to create or constitute an Appellate Authority. The Court further cautioned that public institutions must be cautious in interpreting, as a misconceived interpretation can lead to a chaotic situation. A Division Bench comprising Justice...

Mere Annoyance Or Irritation In Marital Life Is Not Cruelty: Bombay High Court Denies Divorce To Husband

Mere annoyance or irritation between a couple will not amount to cruelty and cannot be a ground for seeking divorce under the Hindu Marriage Act, held the Bombay High Court recently while dismissing a husband's appeal against an order of a Family Court, which too had dismissed his plea seeking dissolution of his marriage on grounds of cruelty. A division bench of Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke and Justice Raj Wakode said the allegations of cruelty cannot be considered on trivial issues and...