On November 28, the Kerala High Court called the curfew in the girls hostel at the Government Medical College into question, asking the competent authorities to explain why students were not allowed to walk around the campus after 9.30 p.m. The Court observed that there could be justification only if compelling reasons could be demonstrated.

"...in the modern times, any patriarchism - even in the guise of offering protection based on gender - would have to be frowned upon because girls, as much as boys, are fully capable of taking care of themselves; and if not, it must be the endeavour of the State and the Public Authorities to make them so competent, rather than being locked in".

The Court determined that one of the reasons for imposing such a restriction was that students would have no reason to go outside after the specified time because the reading rooms and libraries would have closed.

However, the Court noted that there may be other circumstances in which students may wish to walk out at night, and it was on this basis that the Court directed the competent authorities to provide their reasons for imposing the limitation.

"When they do so, they will also keep in mind....Regulations of the University Grants Commission, which mandate that in the guise of protection, rights of the students – especially women - cannot be inhibited, particularly that of movement",

Certain female students of Government Medical College, Kozhikode filed a petition against the impugned notification issued by the Higher Education Department prohibiting female students from leaving the Hostel after 9.30 p.m.