Status Quo Ante Means Restoration, Can't Be Ordered Lightly: Andhra Pradesh High Court

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has recently set aside an ad interim order passed during arbitration proceedings that directed restoration of possession of leased premises, holding that such relief amounts to a mandatory injunction and cannot be granted lightly. A Division Bench of Justice Ravi Nath Tilhari and Justice Maheswara Rao Kuncheam said courts must record clear and justifiable reasons before directing restoration of an earlier state of affairs. "Such orders of „status quo ante‟ are...

Landowner Who Transfers Development Rights Is Jointly Liable To Homebuyers: Uttarakhand High Court

The Uttarakhand High Court has recently reiterated that a landowner who hands over land and extensive development rights to a builder cannot avoid responsibility towards homebuyers and can be subjected to recovery proceedings even if the flats were sold by the developer. A Division Bench of Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Ashish Naithani said liability towards homebuyers does not rest on the builder alone. “The liability, as against the allottees, from whom money was realized by...

Arbitral Tribunal Is A 'Creature of Contract': Delhi High Court Upholds ₹25 Lakh Award To Carlsberg

The Delhi High Court has upheld an arbitral award directing Pali Hills Breweries Pvt. Ltd. to pay Rs 25 lakh to Carlsberg India Private Limited under a brewing contract, while partly allowing the company's challenge by setting aside the arbitrator's rejection of its storage-rent claim. The court held that the amount was a genuine estimate of loss agreed to by the parties. Justice Jasmeet Singh said the High Court could not step in to re-decide the dispute or re-examine the evidence. He said...

Vague Show Cause Notice Can't Justify Retrospective GST Cancellation: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court recently held that a GST registration cannot be cancelled retrospectively on the basis of a vague show cause notice, even where the appeal against such cancellation is delayed. A Division Bench of Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Ajay Digipaul said the court cannot be a "blind spectator" to the denial of a proper opportunity of hearing, even where the proceedings are time-barred. “A vague Show Cause Notice is nothing less than a document which is not providing...

Orissa High Court Quashes ₹8.62-Crore Ex-Parte GST Demand Against Jindal Steel

The Orissa High Court has set aside an ex-parte GST demand raised against Jindal Steel Limited, holding that mere uploading of notices under the “Additional Notices/Orders” tab on the GST portal does not constitute valid service and violates principles of natural justice.A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Murahari Sri Raman found that the taxpayer was deprived of a meaningful opportunity to participate in the proceedings before the State Tax Officer.The court...

MP High Court Asks GST Fraud Accused To Share Google Map Location With Investigators As Bail Condition

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has granted anticipatory bail to an accused in a GST fraud case but with a strict condition. The court has ordered him to share his location with investigators by dropping a Google Map pin, warning that any breach would cancel the protection. Justice Sandeep N. Bhatt passed the order on January 15, 2026, while allowing the anticipatory bail plea filed by Dheeraj Gupta. The Court said custodial interrogation was not warranted at this stage and observed that...

Delhi High Court Revives ITC's Challenge To Philip Morris's Non-Tobacco Nicotine Patent

The Delhi High Court has revived ITC Limited's challenge to a Philip Morris patent covering a non-tobacco nicotine product after setting aside a 2024 Patent Office order that had rejected ITC's opposition.In a judgment dated January 12, 2026, Justice Jyoti Singh allowed an appeal filed by ITC, holding that the impugned order suffered from a lack of independent application of mind and was largely a verbatim reproduction of the patentee's submissions and the recommendations of the Opposition...

Commercial Court Cannot Dismiss Non-Commercial Suit; Must Return Plaintiff: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has held that when a commercial court finds that a dispute does not qualify as a “commercial dispute” under the Commercial Courts Act, it cannot dismiss the suit on that ground and must instead return the plaint so that the litigant can approach the appropriate civil court. A Division Bench of Justice Anil Kshetarpal and Justice Amit Mahajan set aside a Commercial Court order that had dismissed a recovery suit filed by former employee Pramod Kumar against Gannon...

Delhi High Court Sets Aside Rejection Of Comforter System Patent, Orders Fresh Review

The Delhi High Court has set aside a Patent Office order rejecting a patent application filed by Jesal Vimal Jetha for a therapeutic comforter system, holding that the refusal suffered from procedural infirmities and violation of principles of natural justice for non-consideration of applicant's responses to subsequent objections raised by Patent Office.Justice Tushar Rao Gedela delivered the judgment on January 23, 2026, while allowing an appeal against a 2020 order by which the Patent Office...

Delhi High Court Awards ₹81 Lakh to Merck, Sun Pharma In Diabetes Drug Patent Infringement Case

The Delhi High Court on Friday awarded over Rs 81 lakh in damages and costs to US-based pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. and its Indian licensee, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., in a patent infringement suit concerning the anti-diabetic drug Sitagliptin and its pharmaceutical combinations.In a judgment dated January 23, 2026, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela decreed the suit in favour of the pharmaceutical companies, holding that unauthorized manufacture and export of the...

Delhi High Court Grants Interim Relief To L'Oréal, Restrains Circulation Of AI-Generated Video On Maybelline

The Delhi High Court has restrained a social media content creator from circulating an allegedly AI-generated video or any other posts targeting Maybelline products, holding that the unsubstantiated claims could irreparably damage L'Oréal India's brand and consumer trust.Justice Jyoti Singh passed the order on January 20, 2026, observing that the continued circulation of the disputed content would cause irreparable harm to the goodwill and reputation of L'Oréal India Private Limited and its...

Mere Allegations Of Fraud Don't Give Civil Courts Jurisdiction In SARFAESI Cases: Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court has refused to interfere with SARFAESI recovery proceedings involving State Bank of India, holding that fraud or collusion allegations alone do not give civil courts jurisdiction when a statutory remedy lies before the Debt Recovery Tribunal. Justice Niral R. Mehta said that challenges to such measures, including claims of fraud, must be raised before the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT), which has wide powers under Section 17 of the SARFAESI Act to examine the legality,...