Madras High Court Refuses To Remove 'Ayyappan Brand' Trademark, Says Minor Variations In Mark Do Not Affect Identity

The Madras High Court has dismissed a plea filed by Sree Lakshmi Balaji Industries seeking removal of the trademark “Ayyappan Brand” owned by Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Rice Industries from the Register of Trade Marks on the ground that the user date recorded for the mark was inconsistent and that the trademark owner had not used the mark in the form in which it was registered. Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, in an order dated March 11, 2026, said the petitioner had not shown sufficient grounds...

Charitable Trust Cannot Be Denied Income-Tax Registration For Lack of Irrevocability Clause In Trust Deed: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court has held that the absence of an explicit irrevocability clause in a trust deed cannot be a ground to reject the application of a charitable trust for registration or renewal under Section 12AB of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Section 12AB governs the grant and renewal of registration to charitable and religious trusts for the purpose of claiming tax exemption, and the Court observed that the statute does not require such a clause and that a trust is ordinarily irrevocable...

Supreme Court Allows Set-Off Defence Against Ujaas Energy Though Counterclaim Extinguished Under IBC

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd. to raise a plea of set-off as a defence in arbitration proceedings against Ujaas Energy Ltd., even though its counterclaim stood extinguished after approval of the resolution plan under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih while granting the relief observed: “Upon a cumulative consideration of all relevant factors, we hold that the...

Meghalaya High Court Rejects Plea That No Formal Reference Was Made, Holds Contempt Petition Maintainable

The Meghalaya High Court has held a contempt petition arising from alleged disobedience of arbitral tribunal directions to be maintainable, rejecting an objection that no proper reference had been made by the tribunal and holding that the process of reference stood completed in the facts of the case. The Division Bench of Justice W. Diengdoh and Justice B. Bhattacharjee held that the tribunal's order directing that the matter be placed before the Chief Justice, followed by orders placing the...

Calcutta High Court Holds Issue Of Appointing Woman Director Triable In Case Against Rashmi Metaliks

Today, the Calcutta High Court refused to quash criminal proceedings against Rashmi Metaliks Ltd and its directors for alleged non-compliance with the mandatory requirement under Section 149 of the Companies Act to appoint at least one woman director. A Single-Judge Bench of Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta was hearing a criminal revision petition under Section 482 CrPC challenging proceedings pending before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Alipore, including an order dated 19 September 2015. He...

Bombay High Court Directs Gagan Ace Developers To Deposit Rs. 7.81 Crore Arbitral Award For Stay

The Bombay High Court on 18 March upheld a District Judge's order under Section 36 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, directing Gagan Ace Developers to deposit the entire arbitral award amount of Rs. 7.81 crore along with interest as a condition for stay. A Single Bench comprising Justice N.J. Jamadar held that the developers failed to make out any exceptional circumstances warranting an unconditional stay of the award in their dispute with Choice, a partnership firm primarily...

Delhi High Court Dismisses Air India Appeals, Upholds Arbitral Awards On Wage Arrears For AIAEA & IATA

Today, The Delhi High Court dismissed Air India Limited's appeals and upheld arbitral awards directing the airline and its predecessor entities to pay wage arrears of Rs. 57.92 crore to the All India Aircraft Engineers Association (AIAEA) and Rs. 7.81 lakh to the Indian Aircraft Technicians Association (IATA). A Division Bench of Justices Anil Kshetrapal and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar held that Presidential Directives (PDs) issued on wage revision and arrears for engineers and technicians, are...

Madras High Court Grants Interim Injunction To Block Unauthorized Broadcast Of 'Jab Khuli Kitab'

The Madras High Court on 16 March, held that preventive measures are necessary to protect copyright owners from irreparable harm and granted an ad‑interim injunction restraining unauthorized broadcasting of the film Jab Khuli Kitab. A single‑judge Bench of Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy allowed the injunction against dozens of internet service providers (ISPs) and cable TV operators. He held: “In matters of this nature, it is likely that irreversible injury will occur unless unlawful...

Extending Vigil Mechanism To Unlisted Companies Is Policy Decision; Delhi High Court Asks MCA To Consider After Consultation

The Delhi High Court has observed that the question of extending the vigil/whistleblower mechanism prescribed under Section 177 of the Companies Act, 2013, to unlisted companies is a matter of legislative policy and cannot be directed by courts through judicial orders.A Division Bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Madhu Jain thus directed the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs to undertake a stakeholder consultation in this regard, and thereafter take a decision, within a reasonable period,...

Delhi High Court Orders Newslaundry To Remove “Shit Reporters”, “Shit Show” Remarks Against TV Today

The Delhi High Court on Friday partly allowed an appeal filed by TV Today Network Limited, directing News Laundry Media Private Limited to remove specific derogatory remarks from its digital platforms at the interim stage. A division bench comprising Justice C. Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla held that while the defence of fair dealing in copyright law involves fact-intensive examination requiring trial, the use of expressions such as “shit reporters” and “shit show” was prima facie...

Non-Supply Of RUDs, Procedural Lapses In GST Case Must Be Raised In Appeal, Not Writ: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has held that allegations relating to non-supply of relied upon documents (RUDs) and other procedural lapses in GST proceedings are matters to be examined in statutory appeal and not in writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution.A Division Bench of Justices Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Ajay Digpaul observed,“Mere dissatisfaction with the manner in which the adjudicating authority has dealt with the record cannot, by itself, furnish a ground to bypass the statutory...

Delhi High Court Restrains Sale Of “ELECTROCAD” ORS For Imitating FDC's “ELECTRAL”

The Delhi High Court on 11 March, granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction in favour of FDC Limited, restraining Neeraj Agarwal and a third-party manufacturer from manufacturing or selling oral rehydration salts under the mark Electrocad, whose packaging was alleged to imitate the trade dress of FDC's Electral.Justice Jyoti Singh held that when a product is sold over the counter to consumers who may rely on visual memory rather than reading brand names, imitation of a well-known...