Bombay High Court
No One Can Claim Exclusivity Over Name Of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj : Bombay High Court Refuses To Stall Release Of Marathi Film
The Bombay High Court has recently ruled that no one can claim exclusive rights over the name of 'Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj', while rejecting a film producer's plea to stop the release of a Marathi movie using the Maratha ruler's name in its title.A single bench of Justice Amit S. Jamsandekar made the observation while refusing relief in a plea by Everest Entertainment LLP, the producer of the 2009 Marathi film Mi Shivaji Raje Bhosale Boltoy. The company had approached the court against...
AO Cannot Rely Solely On Sales Tax Dept Data To Add Bogus Purchases Without Granting Cross-Examination: Bombay High Court
The Bombay High Court has held that the Assessing Officer (AO) cannot rely solely on Sales Tax Department Data for an income tax addition without granting cross-examination.Justices G.S. Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe stated that, "when the VAT assessment was pending adjudication, merely relying on the information of the Sales Tax Department without granting an opportunity to the Assessee to even cross-examine the hawala purchasers to confirm the purchases from them violated the basic facts of...
Bombay High Court Sets Aside ₹75 Lakh Compensation Awarded Against Hersheys India In Jumpin Drink Manufacturing Dispute
The Bombay High Court has recently set aside a Rs 75 lakh compensation awarded to Kanti Beverages Pvt. Ltd. against Hersheys India Pvt. Ltd. in a dispute over the contract to manufacture and package the fruit drink brand Jumpin. The court said the compensation was “picked virtually out of the hat” and had no basis.A single bench of Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan, in an order made available on Monday, noted that the arbitral tribunal had categorically found that the contract between Hersheys and...
'Don't Blindly Trust AI'; Bombay High Court Quashes Income Tax Assessment Passed On Unverified AI-Generated Case Laws
The Bombay High Court has quashed an income tax assessment after noting that the Assessing Officer had relied upon non-existent, AI-generated case laws while passing the assessment order. The Court stated that in the era of Artificial Intelligence, the tax authorities cannot blindly rely on such AI-generated results. AI-generated case laws must be cross-verified before using them in quasi-judicial functions. Justices B.P. Colabawalla and Amit S. Jamsandekar stated that in this era...
Bombay High Court Stays DGFT Notification Changing Classification Of Roasted Areca Nuts; DGFT Issues Fresh Notification
The Bombay High Court has granted a stay on the Notification issued by the DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) seeking to alter the classification of “Roasted Areca Nuts”. Subsequently, on 15th October, 2025, the DGFT, having realised the mistake, issued a fresh Notification rectifying the same. Justices B.P. Colabawalla and Amit S. Jamsandekar were addressing a petition seeking a declaration that Notification No.02/2025-26 dated 2nd April 2025, issued by DGFT to alter the...
Consumer Complaint Is Not Maintainable Against Corporate Debtor During Subsistence Of Moratorium: Bombay High Court
The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, comprising of Justice M.M. Nerkiar, has held that the consumer complaint before the District Consumer Dispute Redressal is not maintainable if the insolvency of the corporate debtor has been admitted during the continuance of the moratorium. The petition was filed against the order of the District Consumer Dispute Redressal. In the impugned order the commission had directed the petitioner to return the JCB machine to the respondent. ...
Order Terminating Proceedings For Non-Payment Of Arbitral Fees Can Be Challenged U/S 14 A&C Act, Not Through Writ Petition: Bombay HC
The Bombay High Court held that when the arbitration proceedings are terminated under section 38(2) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (Arbitration Act) for non-payment of arbitral fees, the proper remedy is to file application under section 14 of the Arbitration Act and not a writ petition. Justice Manish Pitale held that “in situations where the arbitral proceedings are terminated, a remedy of Section 34 of the Arbitration Act is evidently not available and there appears...
Bombay High Court Directs Dept To Pay ₹71.31 Lakh Interest On Refund Of Illegal IGST Collected Under RCM On Ocean Freight
The Bombay High Court has directed the department to pay Rs. 71.31. Lakh interest on refund of illegal IGST (Integrated Goods and Services Tax) collected under RCM (Reverse Charge Mechanism) on ocean freight. Justices M.S. Sonak and Advait M. Sethna stated that admittedly, the Petitioner had paid the amount of IGST which the respondents utilized up to the date of grant of refund. Having utilized such amounts of the Petitioner there is no justification, legal or otherwise to deny...
Bombay High Court Directs WhiteHat Jr To Secure Rs 80.35 Lakh Arbitral Award In Favor Of Former Employee
The Bombay High Court has recently ordered WhiteHat Education Technology Pvt. Ltd. (popularly known as WhiteHat Jr), a subsidiary of embattled ed-tech Byju's, to secure an arbitration award of Rs 80.35 lakh in favour of its former employee, Prashant Singh.The award was granted in an employment dispute following Singh's sudden termination from the company. The Court also directed the company's directors, Byju Raveendran and Riju Raveendran, to comply with the order.A Single bench of Justice...
SARFAESI Act | Lending Banks Only Obligated To Consider Revival Scheme For NPA MSMEs If Borrower Claims Relief U/S 13(3A): Bombay High Court
The Bombay High Court bench, comprising Justice Suman Shyam and Justice Manjusha Deshpande, has held that the lending bank is obligated to consider the MSME revival scheme for classification of account as NPA only if it has been claimed by the MSME in response to the demand notice under Section 13(3A) of the SARFAESI Act. The petitioner's MSME unit took certain loans from ICICI Bank and the Technology Development Board (TBD). The ICICI Bank classified its account as NPA on February...
'Higher Credence Is Given To Award Passed After Detailed Pre-Arbitral Process': Bombay High Court
The Bombay High Court has held that arbitral awards passed after a detailed pre-arbitral process contractually agreed upon by the parties deserve a higher degree of credibility and judicial deference. The Court refused to grant an unconditional stay on the execution of an arbitral award in favour of the contractor, holding that mere disagreement with the arbitral tribunal's findings does not establish perversity warranting such relief.Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan was hearing an application...
'Unrelated Party To Contract Cannot Be Regarded As Veritable Party To Arbitration Agreement': Bombay High Court
The Bombay High Court has held that an unrelated third party to a contract cannot be treated as a “veritable party” to the arbitration agreement and hence cannot be compelled to participate in the arbitral proceedings. The Court reiterated that the doctrine enabling non-signatories to be treated as parties to an arbitration agreement applies only where there exists a close relationship, such as within a group of companies, or where there is an alter ego or composite transaction linking the...