Bombay High Court Allows GST Fraud Case Accused To Travel Abroad, Says Right To Travel Part Of Personal Liberty

The Bombay High Court has recently observed that the right to travel abroad forms part of the fundamental right to personal liberty under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution and that such liberty cannot be restricted merely on the basis of apprehensions that are not supported by material on record. The court permitted a businessman facing prosecution in a GST fraud case to travel overseas for business as well as personal reasons, observing that conditions requiring prior permission before...

Bombay High Court Refuses Interim Injunction To UTS; Says Prior Registration Of Domain Name Is Valid Defence

The Bombay High Court has dismissed an interim plea filed by Universal Test Solutions LLP, declining to grant interim relief in a trademark, copyright and passing-off dispute against its former partner Punam Kumari Singh and others. In a judgment dated March 11, 2026, Justice Sharmila U. Deshmukh held that the plaintiff had not made out a prima facie case to restrain the defendants from using the domain name uts-global.com, the acronym “UTS”, the corporate name ODC Universal Technological...

Bombay High Court Remands Pharmaceutical Patent Opposition, Sets Aside Patent Office Order As Unreasoned

The Bombay High Court has set aside an order of the Deputy Controller of Patents that had dismissed a post-grant opposition, finding that the decision contained no real reasoning and did not include the technical analysis required under the law. In a judgment dated March 10, 2026, Justice Arif S. Doctor noted that the patent office had rejected the prior-art claim relied on by the opponent without explaining the basis for doing so. The Court said that because the order was appealable, the...

Bombay High Court Dismisses Copyright Suit Over Films Manzil, Parwana; Imposes ₹10 Lakh Costs On Filmmaker

The Bombay High Court has recently dismissed a decades-old copyright infringement suit filed by filmmaker Rajiv Suri against Hinduja Global Solutions Ltd. concerning the Hindi feature films Manzil and Parwana, characterizing the litigation as a “gross abuse of the process of law” and imposing exemplary costs of Rs 10 lakh on the plaintiff. While pronouncing the judgment, Justice Arif S. Doctor held that Rajiv Suri had approached the court with “unclean hands” by suppressing a Memorandum of...

Arbitral Award Not Invalid Merely Because MSME Party Could Have Approached Facilitation Council: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday observed that an arbitral award passed through ad hoc arbitration cannot be invalidated merely because one of the parties is an MSME supplier who could have approached the Facilitation Council under the MSMED Act.Justice Sandeep V. Marne dismissed a petition filed by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) challenging an arbitral award passed in favour of Microtex Energy Pvt. Ltd,an MSME. “Therefore, if parties opt for ad hoc arbitration, the award is not...

Interim Relief On Foreign Arbitral Award Available Even After Enforcement Plea, Until It Becomes Decree: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday held that courts can grant interim protective measures under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act to secure the amount awarded under a foreign arbitral award even after a petition seeking its recognition and enforcement has been filed. Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan made the observation while hearing a petition filed by Osterreichischer Lloyd Seereederei (Cyprus) Ltd against Victore Ships Pvt Ltd seeking interlocutory protection to secure the awarded...

Fundamental Evidence Principles Cannot Be Ignored In Arbitration: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court on 9 March held that while arbitral proceedings are not strictly bound by the technical provisions of the Indian Evidence Act, the fundamental principles governing the burden of proof and the admissibility of evidence cannot be ignored to uphold an arbitral award that is patently illegal. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam A. Ankhad was hearing an appeal filed by Arenel (Private) Ltd challenging a judgment dated 8 September...

Third Parties Can Challenge Arbitral Interim Orders Affecting Their Rights: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court on 5 March held that third parties whose rights are directly affected by arbitral proceedings can challenge interim orders as veritable parties under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, even if they are not signatories to the arbitration agreement. Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan made the observation while hearing petitions by flat purchasers and legal heirs of Mohammed Ali M. Sali in a dispute over a 2009 Joint Development Agreement with Rajaram Chavan Real Estate Pvt....

Establishment Of Kolhapur Bench No Ground To Say Mumbai Seat Lost Jurisdiction Over Writ Against DRAT Order: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court has recently ruled that the creation of the Kolhapur Circuit Bench does not divest the Principal Seat at Mumbai of jurisdiction over a writ petition challenging an order of the Debts Recovery Appellate Tribunal, even where the dispute originates in Kolhapur district. A Division Bench of Justices Manish Pitale and Shreeram V. Shirsat made the observation while hearing a writ petition challenging a September 19, 2024 order of the Debts Recovery Appellate Tribunal (DRAT) in...

Supreme Court Issues Notice On Plea Over Denial Of Use Or Refund Of Compensation Cess ITC After Coal Cess Scrapped

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on a writ petition challenging the denial of utilisation or refund of accumulated Compensation Cess input tax credit (ITC) after the cess on coal was scrapped. The petition, filed by Carbon Resources Pvt. Ltd., claims the change has left the company with around Rs 23 crore in compensation cess credit that has become unusable because no mechanism was provided to either utilise or refund it. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and...

Bombay High Court Cancels C21 Trademarks Registered by Century 21 Town Planners, Cites Dishonest Adoption

The Bombay High Court has allowed rectification petitions filed by Century 21 Real Estate LLC and ordered cancellation of four trademark registrations for the mark “C21” obtained by Century 21 Town Planners Pvt Ltd, holding that the respondent's adoption of the mark was dishonest and intended to ride on the petitioner's goodwill.“The contention that the marks are dissimilar needs only to be stated to be rejected. This contention once again brings to the fore the dishonesty and inconsistency in...

Bombay High Court Protects Shilpa Shetty's Personality Rights, Orders Removal of AI Deepfakes

The Bombay High Court has recently granted protection to the personality rights of the renowned actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra, ordering the removal of AI-generated deepfakes and restraining commercial entities from the unauthorized use of her likeness.On March 4, 2026, Justice Sharmila U. Deshmukh stated that the actress's personality attributes are protectable elements that cannot be commercially exploited without her express consent. The Court observed that the creation of pornographic and...