Delhi High Court Upholds Arbitral Award, Says Tribunal Cannot Revisit Merits After Passing Award

The Delhi High Court has held that once an arbitral award is passed, the arbitral tribunal becomes functus officio and cannot reopen the merits of its decision. Its powers thereafter are confined to correcting computational, clerical, typographical, or similar errors. Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar delivered the ruling while dismissing cross-petitions filed by Supreme Advertising Private Limited and Genus Power Infrastructures Limited. The court observed, "Once an award is rendered, the...

Delhi High Court Refers SOCIAL HOUSE-SOCIAL Trademark Row To Mediation

The Delhi High Court has referred the trademark dispute between hospitality brands "SOCIAL HOUSE" and "SOCIAL" to mediation. It also issued notice on an appeal filed by SOCIAL HOUSE proprietor Vardhaman Choksi against a judgment that had cancelled his trademark. A division bench of Justice V. Kameswar Rao and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora was hearing Choksi's appeal against a common judgment dated April 10, 2026. By that judgment, a single judge had ordered removal of the "SOCIAL HOUSE"...

Delhi High Court Upholds Confiscation of 2.7 kg Undeclared Gold, Says Experienced Traveller Knew Customs Rules

The Delhi High Court has upheld the confiscation of over 2.7 kilograms of gold brought into India from Dubai without declaration, observing that the petitioner's experience as an international traveller showed that he was fully aware of his obligation to declare dutiable goodsA Division Bench of Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Shail Jain refused to interfere with the concurrent findings of the adjudicating authority, the Commissioner of Customs (Appeals) and the revisional authority, which had held...

Delhi High Court Allows L'Oreal To Amend 'Garnier Bright Complete' Suit To Add Trademark Infringement Plea

The Delhi High Court has set aside a Saket District Court order that refused L'Oréal SA permission to amend its passing-off suit over the 'GARNIER BRIGHT COMPLETE' mark to include a claim of trademark infringement.Justice Jyoti Singh on July 13, 2026 observed that the Trial Court erred in treating the subsequent registration of the mark as giving rise to a fresh cause of action barring amendment.L'Oréal had moved for a permanent injunction against Vekariya Nikunj Arvindbhai and others, alleging...

Delhi High Court Cancels 'ZORA' Trademark, Holds It Deceptively Similar To Well-Known ZARA Mark

The Delhi High Court has cancelled the registration of the trademark 'ZORA', holding it to be deceptively similar to the Spanish fashion company ZARA's well-known mark. Justice Jyoti Singh set aside an order of the Registrar of Trade Marks that had dismissed ZARA owner Industria De Diseno Textil S.A.'s opposition to the mark. The court directed the Registrar to rectify the Register of Trade Marks by removing the trademark ZORA within two months. The appeal arose from an order dated February...

GST Adjudicating Authority Not Bound To Seek Additional Documents Before Passing Order: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has held that an adjudicating authority under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 is not obliged to call for additional documents or clarifications from a business merely because it finds the material placed on record to be insufficient to determine tax liability.A Division Bench of Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Shail Jain dismissed a writ petition filed by Sodexo India, challenging a GST demand of around ₹8.75 crore.The Court rejected Sodexo's contention that the...

Delhi HC Restrains 'Electroford' From Selling ORS Products In Packaging Similar To FDC's 'Electral'

The Delhi High Court on 7 July restrained Wellford Pharmaceutical Private Limited and its director from manufacturing, marketing or selling ORS and electrolyte products under trade dress deceptively similar to FDC Limited's well-known “ELECTRAL” packaging, in a suit alleging copyright infringement and passing off. Justice Jyoti Singh granted an ex parte ad interim injunction, restraining Wellford from dealing in products bearing the impugned “ELECTROFORD ADVANCED” packaging or any packaging...

Delhi High Court Says NHAI Cannot Avoid Payments After PCC Issuance, Upholds ₹411 Crore Escrow Awards

The Delhi High Court on 9 July held that a party cannot avoid contractual obligations arising from a Provisional Completion Certificate (PCC) after its issuance by subsequently keeping the certificate in abeyance. A Division Bench comprising Justices V. Kameswar Rao and Vinod Kumar dismissed two appeals filed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) against lender banks led by South Indian Bank Limited. It observed: “The aforesaid conclusion of the learned Tribunal and the learned...

Delhi High Court Says Registrar Must Examine 'GHOSTBUSTERS' Well-Known Mark Before 'GHOST BUSTER' Registration

The Delhi High Court has set aside an order allowing registration of the trademark "GHOST BUSTER" for pharmaceutical and related products after finding that the Registrar of Trade Marks failed to examine Columbia Pictures Industries' claim that "GHOSTBUSTERS" was entitled to protection as a well-known trademark. Justice Jyoti Singh remanded the matter to the Registrar for fresh consideration within three months after hearing both sides. The court held that the Registrar had confined its...

Appellate Order Setting Aside GST Refund Rejection Doesn't Bar Fresh Examination Of Claim: Delhi HIgh Court

The Delhi High Court has held that an appellate order setting aside the rejection of a GST refund claim does not automatically entitle the assessee to an unconditional refund, nor does it bar tax authorities from examining the claim afresh on other legally permissible grounds.A Division Bench of Justices Anil Kshetrapal and Shail Jain made the observation while dismissing a writ petition filed by M/s Karamsar Poultry Appliances, which had challenged an order rejecting its refund claim of ₹3.44...

Delhi High Court Quashes ₹21 Crore Block Assessment Over Failure To Issue Mandatory Scrutiny Notice

The Delhi High Court has reiterated that issuance of a notice under Section 143(2) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, is mandatory for completing block assessments under Section 158BC of the Act.A Division Bench of Justices Dinesh Mehta and Rajneesh Kumar Gupta relied on Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax vs. Hotel Blue Moon (2010), where the Supreme Court held that the omission to issue such notice is not a curable procedural irregularity.The High Court thus quashed a ₹21-crore tax addition made...

MSME Award Can Be Challenged Without 75% Pre-Deposit if Nullity Is Prima Facie Shown: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has held that a court hearing a challenge to an arbitral award under the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 ("MSME Act") is not barred from examining a credible, ex facie plea that the award is a nullity merely because the buyer has not deposited 75% of the awarded amount under Section 19 of the Act. Applying this same principle, a Division Bench of Justice V. Kameswar Rao and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora set aside an ex parte award directing...