Madras HC ordered two women cops to pay Rs.1 lakh each for trying to settle a dowry dispute instead of lodging an FIR. It said officers are not arbitrators or mediators; when cognizable offences are alleged, their duty is to enforce law, not dilute it.
The Tamil Nadu government has moved the Supreme Court by filing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the Madras High Court’s June 2026 ruling. The judgment had struck down a government order granting Backward Class Muslim reservation benefits to eligible converts to Islam.
The Madras High Court criticised students who turned hostile in the 2016 Karur engineering college murder case, saying they became “paper tigers in real life” after failing to support the prosecution despite witnessing the brutal classroom attack.
The Madras High Court held that a wife’s police complaint against husband or matrimonial family cannot alone amount to mental cruelty unless proven false or malicious. The Court dismissed husband’s divorce plea, protecting a spouse’s right to seek legal remedies.
The Madras High Court observed that false cases under the POCSO Act not only harm the accused but also divert valuable judicial time and investigative resources away from genuine child sexual abuse victims, thereby undermining the purpose and effectiveness of the protective legislation.
Madras High Court, while considering a compromise plea in the 2018 Ambedkar poster desecration case, ensured genuine remorse from both youths. It also directed the State to include Ambedkar’s life history and achievements in the school curriculum from 2027–2028.
The Madras High Court Madurai Bench criticised politically motivated appointments of public prosecutors, warning it weakens justice delivery and harms victims. Justice B. Pugalendhi said selections based on allegiance over merit compromise competence, leaving litigants to suffer and undermining the administration of justice.
The Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) held that a deceased body cannot be used for protest, stressing dignified burial under Article 21. Justices N. Sathish Kumar and M. Jothiraman criticised delays in last rites, calling it a violation of fundamental rights.
The Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) held that prolonged neglect, separation, and filing serious criminal allegations can amount to mental cruelty. Justices G.K. Ilanthiraiyan and R. Poornima granted divorce, finding the husband proved cruelty by his spouse.
Madras High Court Justice GR Swaminathan G.R. Swaminathan criticised Madurai authorities for failing to light the Karthigai Deepam atop Thiruparankundram Hillock despite clear court directions issued. He said he respects court orders unlike those officials, stressing accountability within the Madras High Court system today.
