High Court
Gauhati High Court Rejects Bail Plea In ₹8.59 Crore GST Fraud Case
The Gauhati High Court has recently denied bail to a petitioner in Rs. 8.59-crore fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) scam, observing that the allegations disclose an organized and well-planned fraud involving misuse of the GST system. A bench comprising Justice Pranjal Das noted that custodial interrogation was necessary as the investigation was at a crucial stage and that granting bail could hamper efforts to unearth the larger conspiracy. Bahadur Islam, the petitioner, was arrested for alleged...
GST Refund Cannot Be Withheld Over Proposed Appeal: Bombay High Court
The Bombay High Court has held that GST authorities cannot refuse to comply with an appellate order directing a refund merely because an appeal against the order is contemplated. Such refusal is impermissible unless the appellate order is stayed or set aside. A Division Bench of Justice M. S. Sonak and Justice Advait M. Sethna was hearing a writ petition filed by Ma Agro Proprietor alleging non-compliance with an appellate order directing refund of GST along with interest. The court observed,...
Parties Must Exhaust Contractual Dispute Resolution Before Court Appoints Arbitrator: MP High Court
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has held that a court cannot appoint an arbitrator under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 unless the party seeking such appointment has first exhausted the dispute resolution mechanism contractually agreed upon between the parties. A Bench of Justice Pavan Kumar Dwivedi dismissed three applications filed by former employees of Taskis India Private Limited, seeking appointment of an arbitrator, holding that the applicants were bound by the...
Procuring Authority Liable For Differential GST In Government Contracts: Madras High Court Reiterates
Reiterating that additional GST arising from the rollout of the GST regime in government works contracts must be borne by the procuring authority, the Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu Housing Board to consider a contractor's claim for reimbursement of differential tax.A Bench of Justice N Sathish Kumar relying on settled law, held that contractors cannot be fastened with liability for differential GST, interest, or penalties when tax was discharged strictly in accordance...
IGST Refund Claims Cannot Be Rejected Under Omitted Law: Bombay High Court
The Bombay High Court has held that refund claims cannot be thrown out on the basis of a statutory rule that no longer exists and must be looked at afresh once such a rule is omitted (deleted) without any saving clause. The court set aside orders rejecting Integrated Goods and Services Tax refunds claimed by Kelvion India Private Limited and sent the matter back to the tax department for a fresh decision. A Division Bench of Justice M S Sonak and Justice Advait M Sethna noted that the...
Bombay High Court Restrains GetShaadi.com For Infringing Shaadi.com Trademark, Imposes ₹25 Lakh Costs
The Bombay High Court has permanently restrained the operators of www.getshaadi.com, a matrimonial and matchmaking website, holding that it infringes and passes off the trademark Shaadi.com.In a judgment delivered on January 6, 2026, Justice Arif S Doctor ruled in favour of People Interactive, which operates the popular matrimonial platform “Shaadi.com.” The court held that the rival operator's adoption and use of “getshaadi.com” for identical matrimonial and matchmaking services violated...
Commercial Courts Cannot Hear Non-Commercial Arbitration Disputes Without Specified Claim Value: MP High Court
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has clarified that arbitration challenges arising from non-commercial disputes with no determinable monetary value cannot be heard by Commercial Courts, even if such courts function at the level of a Civil Judge (Senior Division). The court clarified that the Commercial Courts Act, 2015 applies only when two conditions are met, the dispute must be commercial in nature and must have a specified value as defined under the law. Justice Vivek Jain said that where...
Bombay High Court Quashes Tax Reassessment Against Hospital Over Unsigned Reopening Notice
The Bombay High Court has set aside reassessment and penalty proceedings against Ambernath City Hospital Pvt. Ltd., holding that the Income Tax Department lacked jurisdiction to reopen the assessment, as the mandatory notice issued under Section 148 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, was unsigned.Relying on its own decision in Prakash Krishnavtar Bhardwaj vs. Income Tax Officer,(2023), the court held, “the Notice issued under Section 148, having no signature affixed to it, either digitally or...
Delhi High Court Orders Takedown Of Unauthorized Images of Youtuber Bhuvan Bam
Bhuvan Bam, a popular YouTube content creator and web-series actor, approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality rights and restraint against the unauthorized use of his images by various unknown individuals and entities.Justice Jyoti Singh, while hearing the matter on January 13, 2026, directed the takedown of the unauthorized images but declined to record any prima facie finding on the issue of personality rights at this stage.The Court orally observed that on the very...