The Kerala High Court on March 19 raised serious concerns over a newspaper report suggesting that it had ordered an inquiry into the purchase of digital survey equipment. The court clarified that no such direction had been issued and sought explanations from both the Malayalam daily Deepika editor and Kodankandath in an ongoing public interest litigation.
Background of the Case
The matter arises from a public interest litigation filed by Shaji J. Kodankandath. The petition had come up for admission when the court was informed of a complaint addressed by MLA K. Rajan to the Registrar General of the High Court.
The complaint referred to statements allegedly made by the petitioner during a press conference, which were later reported in a Malayalam daily newspaper.
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A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. examined the issue and expressed concern over the contents of the news report.
The court noted that the report carried a headline suggesting that the High Court had directed an inquiry into the purchase of digital survey equipment.
“We take serious note of the said fact, as we have not passed any such orders,” the bench observed.
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The judges made it clear that the court had not issued any direction as reported in the publication.
Taking note of the situation, the High Court issued notice to the Editor of Deepika Daily, directing the Editor to file an affidavit explaining the publication of the news item.
The court also asked Kodankandath to file an affidavit clarifying whether he had made any such statement during the press conference.
The bench ordered that the Editor must appear before the court along with the affidavit on the next date of hearing, while the petitioner must submit his affidavit after serving a copy to the respondents
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The court further observed that the other materials placed on record did not indicate any misquotation of its earlier order. Instead, those materials only showed that a complaint was pending before the Vigilance Department.
In view of the nature of the issue, the court considered it appropriate to seek clarification before proceeding further.
The High Court directed that the matter be listed on March 26, 2026. The Registry was instructed to immediately issue notice to the Editor of Deepika Daily. Both the Editor and the petitioner have been directed to file their respective affidavits before the next hearing.
Case Title: Shaji J. Kodankandath v. State of Kerala & Ors.
Case Number: WP(PIL) No. 37 of 2026
Decision Date: March 19, 2026
