Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation

2025 Supreme(Online)(Ker) 55015

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
P.V. KUNHIKRISHNAN, J
VIJAYAN N.P. – Appellant
Versus
STATE OF KERALA – Respondent
WP(C) NO. 46069 OF 2025 | WP(C) NO. 46192 OF 2025 | WP(C) NO. 46194 OF 2025 | WP(C) NO. 46210 OF 2025 | WP(C) NO. 46212 OF 2025 | WP(C) NO. 46232 OF 2025 | WP(C) NO. 46234 OF 2025 | WP(C) NO. 46238 OF 2025 | WP(C) NO. 46242 OF 2025 | WP(C) NO. 46243 OF 2025 | WP(C) NO. 46260 OF 2025

Advocates:
For the Appellants/Petitioners: SRI.NIDHI BALACHANDRAN, SHRI.MAAROOF, SMT.NAFIYA SHAHALA C.K, SHRI.K.I.SAGEER, SRI.MUHAMMED YASIL, SRI.O.D.SIVADAS, SMT.NISHA GEORGE, SRI.GEORGE POONTHOTTAM (SR.), SHRI.ANSHIN K.K, SRI.MAHESH V RAMAKRISHNAN
For the Respondents: SRI DEEPULAL MOHAN, SC, SR GP, SMT VIDYA KURIAKOSE

The court emphasized the necessity of police protection and proper arrangements by the Election Commission for the smooth conduct of local body elections.

Headnote:(A) General Election 2025 - Directions issued for police protection and live webcasting during the elections, ensuring smooth conduct and additional deployments for sensitive booths. (Paras 1-5)

(B) Authority of State Police and Election Commission - The court clarifies the responsibilities of police officers to maintain order during elections and handle protection requests. (Para 5)

Facts of the case:
The writ petitions were filed seeking directions for police protection for the local body elections scheduled on December 9th and 11th, 2025, following a precedent set in a prior judgment.

Findings of Court:
The court directed necessary actions by police authorities for ensuring a secure election environment and the option for petitioners to request videography at polling booths.

Issues: The main issues were the requirements for police protection and the handling of sensitive polling stations.

Ratio Decidendi: The court reaffirmed the necessity for proper police arrangements to maintain order and facilitate safe election processes.

Result: The writ petitions are disposed of in favor of ensuring police presence and videography provisions during the elections.

Table of Content
1. direction for police protection during elections. (Para 1)
2. responsibilities of police and election authorities. (Para 2 , 3 , 4)
3. court's directive for ensuring safe election conduct. (Para 5)

Dated this the 8^th day of December, 2025

JUDGMENT

This Court as per the judgment dated 04.12.2025 in W.P.(C) No.45460 of 2025 and connected cases, has already issued general directions regarding police protection for the General Election – 2025 to the local bodies. The same directions can be issued in these cases as well.

Therefore, these Writ Petitions are disposed of in the following manner:

1. The police authorities and the officers of the State Election Commission will do the needful to see that the General Election – 2025 to the local bodies is smoothly conducted on 9^th and 11^th of December, 2025.

2. The State Police Chief and the jurisdictional District Police Chief will do the needful for live web casting and for deputing additional police force in the booths which are identified by the State Election Commission as hyper sensitive booths and sensitive booths.

3. If any of the petitioners’ want videography in any of their polling booths, they can file an application before the jurisdictional District Election Officer within three days from today. If such an application is filed, the jurisdictional District Election Officers will allow videography at the expense of the applicants’ concerned. If any application is already filed to that effect, the same will be allowed at the expense of the applicants’ concerned.

4. The petitioners are free to file appropriate application for police protection to the life of the candidates, their agents etc., before the jurisdictional District Police Chief or Commissioner of Police within three days. If such an application is received, sufficient protection should be given to those persons in accordance with the law.

5. I make it clear that, if there is any law and order problem, the State Police Chief and the District Police Chief concerned will see that additional police force is deputed to that area. For that purpose, the candidates or their agents can submit appropriate application and if the police officers are convinced about the genuineness of the same, the jurisdictional police officers will do the needful to depute the additional police force.

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