All High Courts
Unconditional Bank Guarantee Can Be Invoked Despite Contract Termination Dispute: Delhi High Court Reiterates
The Delhi High Court has reiterated that an unconditional performance bank guarantee can be invoked even if the contractor disputes the legality of the contract's termination, an issue the court said must be decided in arbitration.A single-judge bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh relied on precedents set by the apex court to hold that it cannot go into such questions while deciding a petition under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. The Court clarified that it cannot go into the...
Delhi High Court Lifts Injunction On 'Cheetal' Rice Trademark, Rules No Infringement Of 'Double Deer' Mark
The Delhi High Court has set aside an interim injunction restraining Bhole Nath Foods Ltd., a Delhi-based rice manufacturer, from using the “CHEETAL” word and device marks, holding that no prima facie case of trademark infringement or passing off was made out in favour of Kirorimal Kashiram Marketing and Agencies Pvt. Ltd., the Chennai-based owner of the “DOUBLE DEER” mark for rice products.A Division Bench of Justice C. Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla, by a judgment dated January 9,...
Delhi High Court Restrains “Charcha Aaj Ki” From Using Deceptively Similar Aaj Tak Device Mark
The Delhi High Court has granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction in favour of Living Media India Limited, the company behind the Hindi news channel AAJ TAK. The Court restrained a digital news platform operating under the name “Charcha Aaj Ki” from using a device mark and colour combination found to be deceptively similar to the “AAJ TAK” trademark. In an order dated January 9, 2026, Justice Jyoti Singh held that Living Media had made out a prima facie case. The court directed that the...
Differential GST On Pre-GST Works Contracts To Be Reimbursed By State Agencies: Karnataka High Court
The Karnataka High Court ruled that the additional GST liability arising out of the shift from the pre-GST VAT (Value Added Tax) regime to the GST regime in ongoing works contracts cannot be imposed on contractors.The bench consists of Justice M Nagaprasanna, who directed the State Departments and government agencies to reimburse the differential GST to contractors.All the contracts were awarded prior to July 2017 under the KVAT regime, where the contract rates factored in VAT and...
GST Registration Cancelled For Non-Filing Of Returns Can Be Revived On Compliance: Gauhati High Court
The Gauhati High Court has reaffirmed that cancellation of a GST registration for continuous non-filing of returns does not permanently shut the door on restoration, so long as the taxpayer later files all pending returns and clears tax dues along with interest and late fees. A Single Judge Bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi observed that even where registration has been cancelled for prolonged non-compliance, the proper GST officer continues to have the authority to revive it upon full...
Madras High Court Temporarily Bars Use Of “URG-9”, Finds It Deceptively Similar To “ARG-9”
The Madras High Court has granted an interim injunction restraining Foregen Healthcare Ltd. from using the pharmaceutical mark “URG-9.” The court held that it was prima facie deceptively similar to the registered trademark “ARG-9” owned by Nouveau Medicament Private Limited.Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy passed the order on January 7, 2026, while deciding the interim injunction application in a trademark infringement and passing-off suit concerning pharmaceutical products.The court observed,...
Cash Not 'Goods' Under GST; Authorities Cannot Seize It Without Evidentiary Link: Calcutta High Court
The Calcutta High Court reiterated that cash does not fall within the definition of “goods” under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) law and, therefore, GST authorities have no power to seize cash unless it is directly relevant to proceedings under the Act.A bench comprising Justice Om Narayan Rai referred to Section 2(52) of the CGST Act, which expressly excludes money from the definition of “goods.” The court observed, "A perusal of the said definition clearly reveals that money stands...
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,...
