Bombay High Court Restrains Surat Company From Using German Entity's 'PETROFER' Mark

The Bombay High Court has granted an interim injunction in favour of German lubricant manufacturer Petrofer Chemie H.R. Fischer GmbH & Co. and its Indian licensee Hardcastle Petrofer Private Limited, restraining United Petrofer Limited, a Surat-based company, from using the mark 'PETROFER'. A single bench of Justice Arif S Doctor passed the order on November 6, 2025, while deciding an interim plea in a trademark infringement and passing-off suit concerning the registered mark...

Bombay High Court Lifts Restraint On UP-Based Popcorn Maize Seller In Brand Dispute With SNN

The Bombay High Court at Nagpur has recently set aside a District Court order restraining SNT & Co., a UP-based popcorn maize seller, from using its brand name and packaging, after finding that the court failed to properly compare the overall look and feel of its packaging with that of Shah Nanji Nagis Exports Pvt. Ltd. (SNN), which had accused SNT of copying its design.In an order passed on November 3, a single bench of Justice Rohit W Joshi lifted an earlier interim injunction and sent the...

Bombay High Court Upholds Order Barring Nagpur Bidi Maker from Using Look-Alike 'Online Bidi' Pack

The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has upheld an earlier order restraining the city based bidi maker-Rocket Bidi Works from using its 'ATM Bidi No.07' packaging, ruling that it closely resembles the trade dress and design of Mobile Bidi Traders' 'Online Bidi'. A single bench of Justice Rohit W. Joshi observed that the 'ATM Bidi' packets copied the distinctive blue colour scheme and layout of the 'Online Bidi' packaging, creating a strong likelihood of confusion among ordinary...

Income Tax | Assessee Should Not Be Penalised For Delay In Filing Return Caused By CA's Belated Advice: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court has held that the assessee should not be penalised for the delay in filing the return caused by the chartered accountant's belated advice. The bench noted that the delay is not due to any negligence on the part of the assessee, but to inadequate advice by the Chartered Accountant, a fact admitted by him in his affidavit. Justices B.P. Colabawalla and Amit S. Jamsandekar opined that the Petitioner ought not to be put to a considerable disadvantage as a result...

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...