In a significant order on Monday, the Kerala High Court settled a dispute that had been simmering within the Nair Service Society Karayogam at Vennala. The bench of Justice K. Natarajan, while hearing a review petition, clarified the meaning of its earlier “status quo” direction and allowed the elected committee of the Karayogam to continue its day-to-day functions. The order came after weeks of confusion and allegations of interference by the previous adhoc committee.
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Background
The case arose after a bitter tussle between two groups within the Vennala Karayogam. According to court filings, 178 members of the society participated in an election held on 6 June 2024 to elect a 15-member administrative committee and key office-bearers. Dr. T.V. Vinayakumar was chosen as President, along with T.K. Sukumaran Nair as Vice President, K.N. Ramesh Kumar as General Secretary, P. Rajesh as Joint Secretary and P.P. Narayan Kutty as Treasurer.
The new team assumed charge in accordance with Clause 16 of the Karayogam’s by-laws, effectively ending the tenure of the adhoc committee. However, an order passed by the High Court in July 2025 directing all parties to “maintain status quo” created unexpected hurdles. The elected committee claimed it was unable to carry out its responsibilities, while the respondents allegedly continued to meddle in the affairs of the society.
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Court’s Observations
Hearing the review petition (R.P. No.979 of 2025) filed by the Nair Service Society Karayogam Vennala, Justice Natarajan noted that there was no error in the earlier order requiring the trial court to dispose of pending injunction applications within three months. However, the bench acknowledged that the phrase “status quo” had caused confusion.
“The bench observed, ‘When the elected body is lawfully discharging its duty as per the bye-laws, it should be allowed to continue till the interlocutory applications are decided,’” said a lawyer present at the hearing.
The court referred to the petitioner’s reliance on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Tayabbhai M. Bagasarwalla vs Hind Rubber Industries to underline the need for clarity when interim orders impact functioning of elected bodies.
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Justice Natarajan further remarked in open court that the trial court, not the High Court, would eventually decide on restraining the respondents from interfering. Until then, the society’s operations should not be paralysed by ambiguity over the earlier status quo order.
Decision
Disposing of the review petition, the High Court explicitly clarified that the elected committee of the Nair Service Society Karayogam Vennala may continue to run its daily affairs in accordance with its bye-laws until the trial court decides the pending injunction application under Order 39 Rule 2 of the Civil Procedure Code. This direction effectively restores control of the society to the democratically elected body while keeping the final decision in the hands of the lower court.
Case Title: Nair Service Society Karayogam Vennala vs. Karayogam Registrar & Others
Case Number: Review Petition (R.P.) No. 979 of 2025 (arising out of O.P.(C) No.1665 of 2025)
Petitioner: Nair Service Society Karayogam Vennala (represented by its Secretary)
Respondents: Karayogam Registrar (Head Office, Changanassery), M.K. Mohan Kumar (Election Officer), and M.B. Muralidharan (Chairman, Adhoc Committee)
Date of Decision: 29 September 2025
