GST Audit Completion Does Not Bar Further Tax Proceedings for Unpaid Tax: J&K and Ladakh High Court

The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has recently held that completion of a GST audit does not prevent tax authorities from initiating further proceedings for unpaid or short-paid tax.Referring to section 65(7) of the CGST Act, the court observed, “A plain reading thereof makes it abundantly clear that where an audit conducted under sub-section (1) of Section 65 results in detection of tax not paid, short paid, erroneously refunded, or input tax credit wrongly availed or utilized,...

Delhi High Court Directs Meta To Take Down Ads Using StoryTV Content To Promote Bullet App

The Delhi High Court has temporarily restrained the entities allegedly behind misleading online advertisements from using StoryTV's copyrighted content and marks to promote rival short-drama app Bullet. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela passed the order on May 11, 2026, in a suit filed by Greenhorn Wellness Private Limited, which owns and operates StoryTV. The Court also directed Meta to immediately take down the identified infringing advertisements across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads,...

Allahabad High Court Allows Writ Petition Against Arbitral Award Passed After Unilateral Shift Of Seat

The Allahabad High Court on 5 May held that a writ petition challenging an ex parte arbitral award is maintainable in exceptional circumstances involving lack of jurisdiction or violation of principles of natural justice. A Division Bench of Justices Ajit Kumar and Indrajeet Shukla allowed the writ petition filed by Sushil Kumar Prajapati the proprietor of Laxmi Medical Agency against the Central Hospital, North Central Railway, Allahabad, and set aside an ex parte arbitral award passed in...

Patna High Court Refuses To Quash Central Excise Show Cause Notices Against ITC Despite Delay In Adjudication

The Patna High Court has recently refused to quash multiple Central Excise show cause notices issued to ITC Limited, holding that the company could not seek quashing solely on the ground of delayed adjudication when it had not participated in hearings despite repeated opportunities. “For one reason or another, the petitioner did not participate in the hearing. In such circumstances, prima facie, we agree with the submissions of the learned counsel for the Central Excise that the delay in the...

Delhi High Court Grants Zee Temporary Relief Against JioStar In Copyright Suit, Refers Parties To Mediation

The Delhi High Court has recently granted ad-interim relief to Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited in its copyright suit against JioStar India Private Limited, while also referring the parties to mediation to explore an amicable settlement. The court directed JioStar to ensure that it does not use, publish, broadcast, stream, upload, or make copies of Zee's licensed works within 15 days in a dispute over the alleged continued hosting of content after expiry of licensing agreements. Justice...

Bombay High Court Pulls Up Petitioner Over Plea To Stay Sir Ratan Tata Trust Board Meeting, Petition Withdrawn

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday disposed of as withdrawn a petition seeking a stay on the May 16 board meeting of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) after expressing serious displeasure over the manner in which the proceedings were instituted.A vacation bench of Justices Advait Sethna and Sandesh Patil expressed shock after noting that petitioner Suresh Patilkhede had sought a stay on the SRTT board meeting based on representations pending before the Charity Commissioner even though those...

Delhi Metro Phase-III Project: Delhi High Court Upholds Arbitral Award Against DMRC Over ₹3.47 Crore ECC Claim

The Delhi High Court has recently upheld an arbitral award requiring Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (DMRC) to reimburse contractor GYT TPL Joint Venture towards ₹3.47 crore in Environmental Compensation Charges (ECC), GST-related burdens and other additional costs. These arose during the execution of the Delhi Metro Phase III Dilshad Garden–New Bus Adda corridor project, including during the extended contract period. Justice Subramonium Prasad held that the Environmental Compensation...

Vague Or Ambiguous Arbitration Notice Cannot Validly Commence Arbitral Proceedings: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court has recently held that arbitral proceedings cannot be validly commenced on the basis of a vague or ambiguous invocation notice that fails to clearly identify the arbitration agreement or clause relied upon, or is not shown to have been received by the opposing party. Justice Gaurang Kanth held, “The Section 21 notice is not a mere procedural formality, rather it is a jurisdictional prerequisite that marks the very commencement of arbitration proceedings.”He added,...

Delhi HC Refers JioStar-Absolute Legends Dispute Over Legends League Cricket Media Rights To Arbitration

The Delhi High Court has referred disputes between JioStar India Pvt. Ltd. and Absolute Legends Sports Pvt. Ltd. over the media and commercial rights of the Legends League Cricket Masters T20 tournament to arbitration. It held that arbitral proceedings should not be unduly delayed once parties before the court agree to arbitrate. Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar appointed Senior Advocate Kamal Nijhawan as sole arbitrator. The court also directed that franchise fee collections and ticket...

Arbitral Proceedings Cannot Be Terminated Twice; Recall Rejection Cannot Be Challenged As An Award: Delhi HC

Arbitral proceedings, once terminated, cannot be terminated a second time, the Delhi High Court has held while ruling that a party cannot treat an arbitrator's refusal to recall an earlier termination order as a fresh termination capable of challenge as an arbitral award. “Arbitral proceedings can be terminated only once and once terminated they cannot again be terminated a second time. The dismissal of the recall application could not, therefore, be treated as a second order terminating the...

Allahabad High Court Refuses Writ Against MSME Council Award, Directs Recourse Under Section 34

The Allahabad High Court on 30 April reiterated that a writ petition challenging an ex-parte award passed by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Facilitation Council under Section 18 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 is not maintainable when the statute provides an alternative remedy under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. A Division Bench of Justices Saral Srivastava and Garima Prashad dismissed the writ petition filed by Shri Krishna...

Himachal Pradesh HC Says State Waived Arbitration Bid After Contesting L&T's Hydro Power Dispute For Seven Years

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has refused to send the ₹84 crore dispute between L&T Himachal Hydro Power Limited and the State government over the Reoli-Dugli hydropower project to arbitration. The court held that the State waited too long to seek that remedy after contesting the writ petitions for more than seven years. “As already noticed above, after the amendment carried out in the Act in the year 2015, if the party applies not later than date of submitting the first statement on the...