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Invoking the teachings of Prophet Muhammad—“pay the worker before his sweat dries”—the Madras High Court has directed a municipal corporation to settle long-pending legal dues owed to a former counsel. The court observed that this principle reflects basic fairness and applies equally to labour and service-related disputes.

Justice G. R. Swaminathan made the observation while hearing a petition filed by advocate P. Thirumalai, who claimed that the Madurai City Municipal Corporation failed to pay him legal fees amounting to ₹13.05 lakh. Earlier, the High Court had asked the corporation to consider his representation. However, a later order rejected a major portion of his claim, prompting the present petition.

The court allowed Thirumalai to approach the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and submit a list of cases in which he had appeared. It also directed the corporation to settle the verified fee bills within two months, without interest. The court noted that the petitioner had waited nearly 18 years before challenging the non-payment and that the corporation could not be fully blamed, as the fee bills were not submitted properly.

‘A Matter of Embarrassment’

Justice Swaminathan described it as a “matter of embarrassment” that the State has nearly a dozen Additional Advocate Generals. He observed that appointing too many law officers often leads to unnecessary allocation of work and frequent adjournments, as government counsel claim that senior officers are engaged elsewhere.

He expressed hope that such practices would end at least in the Madurai Bench of the High Court and added that Additional Advocate Generals should “turn a new leaf” from 2026 onwards.

‘Scandalously High Amounts’

While stating that the court cannot examine the exact fees paid to senior counsel or law officers, Justice Swaminathan stressed that good governance requires public funds to be used prudently. He expressed concern over the “scandalously high amounts” paid by government and quasi-government bodies to a few favoured law officers.

In contrast, the court noted that Thirumalai’s total claim was “a pittance” considering the large number of cases he had handled.

Background

Thirumalai served as the standing counsel for the Madurai City Municipal Corporation for more than 14 years, from 1992 to 2006. During this period, he represented the corporation in about 818 cases before the Madurai District Courts.

As the former counsel was unable to hire a clerk to obtain certified copies of judgments in all 818 cases, the court directed the District Legal Services Authority to collect the certified copies within two months. The court further ordered the corporation to bear the cost incurred by the DLSA and deduct that amount from the final settlement payable to the petitioner.

The Karnataka Branch of the Kuwait Kerala Muslim Association (KKMA), one of the largest social and community service organisations of the Indian diaspora in Kuwait, convened its General Body Meeting on Friday, December 19, 2025, at the Evergreen Auditorium, Abbasiya.

The meeting began with a soulful recitation of the Holy Qur’an by Mohammed Afraz Anwar, followed by a welcome address from Mohammed Amin Sheik, General Secretary of the Karnataka Branch. The programme was formally inaugurated by Eng. Mohammad Nawas Cadiri, Organising Secretary of the KKMA Central Committee and Mentor of the Karnataka Branch, who commended the members for their dedication and consistent contributions to KKMA’s humanitarian mission.

Addressing the gathering, KKMA Central Committee President K. Basheer highlighted the significance of the Karnataka Branch and appreciated its exemplary performance and meaningful role within the association.

In his presidential address, Branch President Yusuf Rasheed outlined the branch’s achievements in various charitable and social initiatives, including the Family Benefit Scheme (FBS), Educational Scholarship Programme (ESP), Kidney Dialysis Centres (KDC), Medical Assistance Programme (MAP), Home for the Homeless, Housing Improvement Programme (HIP), Magnet team services for expatriate patients in Kuwait, and the repatriation of deceased individuals to their home countries. He expressed sincere gratitude to his team for their selfless service during his four-year tenure.

Senior Leader and CFO Sayed Rafeek presented the annual activity report and financial report covering the past two years, both of which were unanimously approved by the General Body.

Delivering the keynote address, Central Committee Working President O.P. Sharafu spoke on the importance of social work, emphasising its values and responsibilities.

Several members were felicitated for their outstanding contributions. Sheik Yusuf Abbas, Mohammad Hussain Daddi, Mohammad Ansar Hussain, Imad Irshad Nazeer, Imthiyaz Noor Choughuley, Abdul Hakeem Ismail, and Abdul Latheef Kodibail were honoured for their dedicated service. Awards for excellence in the membership campaign were presented to Najmuddin Takey, Mabiya Adam, Ansar Dayambu, and Shoukath Husainabba Shirva.

Branch Mentor Mohammad Nawas Cadiri was honoured for his continued guidance and motivation, while President Yusuf Rasheed was felicitated for his visionary leadership and remarkable service over the past four years.

Following the formal dissolution of the existing committee, a new committee for 2025–27 was formed under the supervision of Returning Officer Naufal AT, Vice President (IT), KKMA Central Committee. Mohammad Yusuf Muniyam was unanimously elected as the new President of the KKMA Karnataka Branch for a two-year term. Office-bearers from all six zones of the branch were also introduced.

In his acceptance speech, President-elect Mohammad Yusuf Muniyam thanked Almighty Allah and expressed his gratitude to KKMA leaders and members for their trust. He sought continued cooperation to further strengthen KKMA’s mission and vision.

KKMA Vice Chairman Ibrahim Kunnil congratulated the new leadership and assured full support from the Central Committee. The felicitation session featured addresses by Central Committee Finance Secretaries Abdul Hamid Mulky and Mohammad Ali, General Secretary BM Iqbal, CFO Syed Rafiq, Vice President (IT) Naufal AT, Vice President (FBS) PM Jaffar, City Zonal President Abdul Latheef Shedia, and senior leaders Nazeer Bolar and Syed Manipur, all extending their best wishes.

The programme was smoothly compered by Abdul Jabbar Gurupur and concluded with a vote of thanks by Mabiya Adam. The AGM ended on a high note with fellowship among members, leaders, and well-wishers, followed by a buffet dinner—marking yet another milestone in the Karnataka Branch’s journey of community service.

Office Bearers for 2026–2027

•    Mohammad Yusuf Muniyam – President

•    Abdul Rahiman Kana – Working President

•    Mohammed Amin Sheik – General Secretary

•    Sharief Ahmed Mulky – Treasurer

•    Mohammad Faisal Beary – Administration Secretary

Vice Presidents:

•    Mohammed Irshad Mulky – Membership Affairs

•    Imthiyaz Abdul Kareem Soorinje – Family Benefit Affairs

•    Mohammed Riyaz Kawa – Social Projects

•    Mohammed Shamshuddin Moosa – Education Support

•    Mohammed Noufal – Education & Skill Development

•    Shakeel Ahmed – Cultural & Sports Affairs

•    Shoukath Husainabba Shirva – Moral & Spiritual Development

Secretaries:

•    Ramlan Bhatrathota – Relief Development

•    Firoz Abdul Samad – Community Service

•    Mabiya Adam Kadaba – IT, Public Relations & Event Management

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received ₹6,654.93 crore in donations during the 2024-25 financial year — a Lok Sabha election year — registering a 68 per cent increase over the previous fiscal.

In its annual contribution report submitted to the Election Commission on December 8, two days ahead of the deadline, the BJP disclosed all donations exceeding ₹20,000. The report, now available on the Commission’s website, covers contributions received between April 1, 2024 and March 30, 2025 — a period marked by the general election and Assembly polls in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Delhi.

The BJP, the world’s largest political party by membership, had reported donations of ₹3,967 crore in 2023-24. The latest figures represent the party’s highest donation receipts in the last five years.

Electoral trusts accounted for around 40 per cent of the BJP’s total donations. The Prudent Electoral Trust contributed ₹2,180 crore, followed by the Progressive Electoral Trust with ₹757 crore and the New Democratic Electoral Trust with ₹150 crore. Contributions from other electoral trusts together amounted to ₹3,112.5 crore. The remaining funds came from corporate donors and individuals. Electoral trusts are entities set up by companies to channel donations to political parties.

Among major corporate contributors, Serum Institute of India donated ₹100 crore, Rungta Sons Private Limited ₹95 crore, Vedanta ₹67 crore, and Macrotech Developers (formerly Lodha Developers) ₹65 crore. Three Bajaj Group companies together contributed ₹65 crore, while Derive Investments donated ₹50 crore.

Other notable donors included Malabar Gold (₹10 crore), Kalyan Jewellers (₹15.1 crore), Hero Group (₹23.65 crore), Dilip Buildcon Group (₹29 crore), ITC Limited (₹35 crore), Wave Industries (₹5.25 crore) and Zerodha’s investment firm, promoted by Nikhil Kamath, which contributed ₹1.5 crore.

Several BJP leaders also made individual donations. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma donated ₹3 lakh, Assam minister Pijush Hazarika ₹2.75 lakh, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan ₹1 lakh, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi ₹5 lakh, Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava ₹1 lakh, and Akash Vijayvargiya, son of senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, also donated ₹1 lakh, among others.

In contrast, most opposition parties reported a sharp decline in donations. The Congress received ₹522.13 crore in 2024-25, a fall of about 43 per cent from ₹1,129 crore in the previous year. The Trinamool Congress saw donations drop to ₹184.08 crore from ₹618.8 crore, while the Bharat Rashtra Samithi reported just ₹15.09 crore, down from ₹580 crore.

The Aam Aadmi Party, however, recorded an increase, collecting ₹39.2 crore compared to ₹22.1 crore last year. The Telugu Desam Party received ₹85.2 crore in donations, down from ₹274 crore, but also earned ₹102 crore through fees and subscriptions. The Biju Janata Dal reported ₹60 crore in donations, compared to ₹246 crore in the previous fiscal.

The 2024-25 financial year is also the first without electoral bonds, after the Supreme Court struck down the scheme as unconstitutional in February 2024. Since its introduction in 2018, the electoral bond scheme had enabled political parties to receive over ₹16,000 crore in anonymous donations, with the BJP receiving the largest share.