Calcutta High Court Quashes Wilful Defaulter Action Against BSCPL, Finds No Evidence

The Calcutta High Court has set aside a lender's attempt to classify BSCPL Infrastructure Ltd. and its guarantor as “wilful defaulters”, quashing a show cause notice issued after the Wilful Defaulter Identification Committee proposed such classification on December 18, 2025, holding that there was no material to satisfy the RBI framework. Justice Krishna Rao held that the essential ingredients of “wilful default” were not made out, observing: “This Court finds that the respondents have not...

Delhi HC Restrains Flipkart From Listing Pirated Bharati Bhawan Books; Ad-Interim Injunction against 17 Sellers

The Delhi High Court has directed Flipkart to refrain from listing counterfeit or pirated copies of Bharati Bhawan's educational books while granting an ex parte ad interim injunction against 17 online sellers. The 80-year-old publishing house approached the court after discovering that its most popular academic titles, authored by renowned specialists like Dr. H.C. Verma and Dr. R.S. Aggarwal, were being sold as pirated counterfeits on the platform. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, on March 27,...

Delhi High Court Upholds 18% Interest On Arbitral Award, Says Tribunals Free To Grant Such Rates Under Pre-2015 Law

The Delhi High Court has upheld an arbitral award granting 18% interest on the awarded sum to a contractor, holding that tribunals have wide discretion to fix interest rates under the pre-2015 arbitration law. Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, in a dispute between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Anil Gupta, however, modified the award to direct that interest would run only from July 6, 2008, the date of invocation of arbitration, instead of March 8, 2004. “Under the statutory...

Delhi High Court Sets Aside FEMA Confiscation For Lack Of Reasons, Upholds Penalty

The Delhi High Court has set aside confiscation orders passed under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA), holding that such action cannot be sustained in the absence of reasons.A Division Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja partly allowed a batch of appeals filed against orders of the Appellate Tribunal for Foreign Exchange, which had affirmed penalties as well as confiscation of funds lying in Non-Resident (Non-Repatriable) Rupee (NRNR) accounts.The case arose from...

Delhi High Court Protects 'HIMALAYA' Trademark, Temporarily Restrains Use Of Deceptively Similar Mark

The Delhi High Court has temporarily restrained an individual from using the mark “HIMALAYA THE NUTRA HEALTH CARE” or any deceptively similar mark, protecting Himalaya Wellness Company's “HIMALAYA” trademark for pharmaceutical and allied products. A single bench of Justice Jyoti Singh, in an order dated March 30, 2026, held that Himalaya Wellness Company had made out a prima facie case of trademark infringement and passing off, observing that the defendant had adopted deceptively similar marks...

Delhi High Court Restrains Rival From Using JVCO 2024's 'Mother Care' Mark For Baby Products

The Delhi High Court has granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction in favour of JVCO 2024 Limited, restraining a rival from using the mark “MOTHER CARE” for baby products, holding it to be identical and deceptively similar to its registered trademark “MOTHERCARE”.Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, in an order dated April 7, 2026, observed, “It is apparent from the above that the defendant has dishonestly adopted the mark MOTHER CARE without any justifiable reasons. As noted above, the two marks are...

Rajasthan High Court Defreezes Accounts As GST SCN Only Uploaded On Portal, Never Served

The Rajasthan High Court has directed de-freezing of the bank accounts of business entities and their proprietors from Sawai Madhopur after noting their submission that the SCN concerning their GST liability was only uploaded on the portal without being served through any other prescribed mode. Granting interim relief, a division bench of Justice Mahendra Kumar Goyal and Justice Bhuwan Goyal said it would be just and proper to allow operation of the accounts, subject to the deposit of 10% of...

Pigmy Agents Are Employees, Commission Paid Them Not Subject To GST: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court on 8 April, held that banks engage pigmy (deposit collection) agents as employees, not independent service providers. Therefore, the commission paid to them does not attract Goods and Services Tax (GST). A Bench comprising Justice M. Nagaprasanna allowed Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank's writ petition and quashed all show cause notices issued by GST authorities under the reverse charge mechanism. He held: “The show cause notices issued by the respondent proceed on an...

TTD A "Governmental Authority" For GST, 12% Rate For Contractors Not Automatic: Andhra Pradesh High Court

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on 3 March 2026 held that Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) qualifies as a “Governmental Authority” and “Governmental Entity” under GST notifications. However, the Court clarified that contractors can claim the concessional 12% GST rate only if the works they execute meet the conditions specified in the notifications. A Division Bench comprising Justices R. Raghunandan Rao and T.C.D. Sekhar was hearing a batch of writ petitions filed by contractors who executed...

Arbitrator Under MSCS Act Can Presume Membership If Not Specifically Denied: Bombay High Court

The Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court on 30 March, held that membership of a cooperative society is a jurisdictional fact for invoking arbitration under Section 84 of the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act (MSCS Act). However, if such membership is not specifically denied, the arbitrator may presume its existence from the material on record. Justice Arun R. Pedneker allowed the appeal filed by Yash Multi State Rural Co-operative Credit Society Ltd. (the Society) and set aside the...

Delhi High Court Refers Copyright Row Over 'Oye Oye' Song Used in Dhurandhar 2 To Mediation

In a move to resolve the dispute over the iconic song 'Oye Oye' appearing as 'Rang De lal' in 'Dhurandhar: The Revenge,' the Delhi High Court has referred the copyright infringement suit between Trimurti Films and Aditya Dhar's B62 Studios AND T-Series to mediation.The plea is filed by Trimurti Films Pvt. Ltd., the copyright owner of the 1989 film Tridev, alleging unauthorized use and repurposing of its song Rang De lal (Oye Oye) in the impugned film.Justice Tushar Rao Gedela ordered the parties...

Delhi High Court Issues Notice To Centre On Plea Challenging Health Security and National Security Cess Act

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Union of India in a challenge to the constitutional validity of the Health Security and National Security Cess Act, 2025, observing that there is prima facie merit in the petitioner's arguments on legislative competence and arbitrariness of the levy.The Division Bench comprising Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Ajay Digpaul was hearing a writ petition filed by Vinod J. Sharma, wherein the validity of the cess imposed on pan masala...