Kerala High Court Directs Amicus To Verify Road Maintenance Work Carried Out By Kochi Municipal Corporation

Justice Devan Ramachandran had previously summoned the Engineers of the roads that remained un-repaired, leading to accidents.

Advocate Janardhana Shenoy appearing for the Kochi Municipal Corporation submitted that the works on all city roads had either been completed or were in progress, rendering the summoning of engineers by the Court unnecessary. He further referred to his memo dated August 27, 2025, which furnished details of the works executed and ongoing.

Meanwhile, Government Pleader KV Manoj Kumar placed on record a memo enclosing the action-taken report, detailing the steps undertaken by the State to curb erratic traffic and enhance road safety.

The Court recorded this submission and directed the police and allied agencies to ensure that the drive against traffic violations is carried out “perennially and not for a short duration alone.”

On the larger issue of road conditions across the State, Justice Ramachandran observed that a comprehensive safety and quality audit had already been called for. Since the Government Pleader had previously sought more time, the Court refrained from making further comments at this stage.

As regards Kochi roads, the Court directed the amicus curiae to verify the memo filed by Shenoy and make necessary submissions. Particular reference was made to the Thammanam–Pullepady stretch, a prominent place in Kochi, which is also mentioned in the memo filed by the Corporation. The Court instructed that this too be verified amicus.

Before concluding, the Court stressed that engineers and authorities must ensure that road works are carried out “in full swing without any delay”.

The matter is posted on 11 September for further consideration.

Case Title - C P Ajithkumar v State of Kerala

Case No - WP(C) 32680/ 2008

Counsel for Petitioner - Tom K. Thomas

Counsel for Respondent - Benhur Joseph Manayani, S. Krishnamoorthy CGC, Johnson Manayani, Jomy George, Jeevan Mathew Manayani, Sebastian Thomas, C.M. Suresh Babu, SC - Cochin Corporation, M. K. Thankappan, SC - GCDA, Thomas Antony, Atul Sohan, K. Janardhana Shenoy, SC - Kochi Municipal Corporation, B. G. Bidan Chandran, Lejo Joseph George, A. K. Preetha, B. Arunkumar, Rilgin V. George, G. Hariharan, Praveen H., Anil Kumar, M. Sivaraman, R. Reji (Attingal), Sreeja Sohan K., M.U. Vijayalakshmi (Advocate By Court Order) S. Ramesh Babu, SC - Cochin Corporation, P. Benjamin Paul, SC - Kerala Water Authority

Amici Curie: S. Krishna, S. Vinod Bhat, P. Deepak