Kerala High Court Initiates Suo Motu PIL to Probe Alleged Political Influence in IHRD Director’s Appointment: Kochi, India – The Kerala High Court on Friday (June 27) directed its Registry to register a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to investigate whether Dr. V. A. Arun Kumar, the current Director of the Institute of Human…
Will Can Be Proved Even When Attesting Witness Is Dead: Kerala High Court: Kochi, India – The Kerala High Court has issued a crucial clarification regarding the procedure for proving the execution of documents that legally require attestation, specifically focusing on Wills. The Court highlighted that while Section 68 of the Evidence Act outlines the…
Calcutta High Court: Controlling Authority Cannot Deny Interest on Delayed Gratuity: Kolkata, India – In a significant ruling for employees awaiting their gratuity payments, the Calcutta High Court has clarified that the controlling authority under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, has no discretion to deny interest on delayed gratuity. Justice Shampa Dutt (Paul) directed…
Telangana HC Cancels Free Land Allotment for International Arbitration & Mediation Centre, Hyderabad: Hyderabad – In a significant judgment, the Telangana High Court has struck down the state government’s decision to allot 3.70 acres of prime land in Raidurg village, Hyderabad, for the construction of the International Arbitration & Mediation Centre (IAMC). A Division Bench…
Poonch Court Orders FIR Against Zee News, News18 for Defamatory Operation Sindoor Coverage: Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir – In a significant ruling underscoring media accountability, a court in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, has directed the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against prominent news channels Zee News and News18 India. The channels are accused…
Delhi High Court Seeks SSC Reply on Pleas Challenging “Flawed” CGLE 2024 Results: New Delhi – The Delhi High Court has called upon the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) to respond to a petition challenging the final results of the Combined Graduate Level Examination (CGLE), 2024. The challenge, brought by 92 candidates whose names did not…
Karnataka High Court Directs FIR for Medical Negligence Against Fortis, GM Hospital: Bengaluru – In a significant ruling emphasizing the sanctity of patient care and the right to dignity, the Karnataka High Court has directed the immediate registration of a First Information Report (FIR) for medical negligence against doctors from GM Hospital and Fortis Hospital.…
Kirloskar Group Challenges SEBI Disclosure Norms in Bombay High Court: Mumbai – Five Kirloskar group companies have initiated a significant legal challenge in the Bombay High Court against recent amendments to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. The petitioners contend that the 2023 amendments, which mandate…
SILF-Bar Council of India Dispute-Entry of Foreign Firms in India: New Delhi – The simmering dispute between the Bar Council of India (BCI) and the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) over the entry of foreign law firms into India has intensified, with SILF firing back at the BCI’s accusations of monopolistic practices within the…
SIAC Rules in Favor of Amazon, Awards Rs 23.7 Crore in Future Group Dispute: Singapore – The Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) has concluded a significant chapter in the prolonged legal saga between e-commerce giant Amazon and Kishore Biyani’s Future Group, awarding Amazon ₹23.7 crore in damages. The tribunal found that Future Group had breached its…
Madras High Court: NGOs Not to Be Viewed with Suspicion Solely for Receiving Foreign Aid: Chennai, India – In a significant ruling for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating with international funding, the Madras High Court has asserted that such entities should not be regarded with suspicion simply because they receive foreign contributions, unless there is concrete…
Allahabad High Court Bans Rs 500 Photo ID Fee by Bar Associations: Prayagraj – The Allahabad High Court has issued a strong interim order. It has stopped the High Court Bar Association (Allahabad) and the Oudh Bar Association (Lucknow) from charging ₹500 for photo identification. This fee was being collected from lawyers and individuals filing…
Refrain from Staying the Conviction of Public Servants in Corruption Cases, says Supreme Court: India’s highest court has reiterated a clear stance: courts should generally not pause the conviction of public servants found guilty of corruption. This observation came as the Supreme Court dismissed a petition. The petition challenged a Gujarat High Court decision. That…
Madras High Court Stays Rotary International Director’s Assumption of Office: Chennai – In a significant development, the Madras High Court has issued an interim order restraining M. Muruganandam from taking charge as the Rotary International Director for Zone 5 (covering Rotary clubs in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Sri Lanka) for the upcoming 2025–2027 term. The injunction,…
Allahabad High Court Denies Bail to 62-Year-Old Accused of Posting “Pakistan Zindabad” on Facebook Post: Allahabad – The Allahabad High Court has recently denied bail to a 62-year-old man accused of sharing a Facebook post containing the slogan “Pakistan Zindabad,” holding that his “anti-national conduct” disentitles him from seeking the protection of his fundamental right…
Allahabad High Court Slams UP Police, Civil Officials for Flouting Judicial Orders: Prayagraj – In a scathing rebuke, the Allahabad High Court on Friday heavily criticized officials of the Uttar Pradesh police and civil administration. The condemnation came after a house in Baghpat district was illegally demolished, despite an explicit stay order issued by the…
Uttarakhand High Court Allows Panchayat Elections in State: Nainital – The Uttarakhand High Court has given its approval for the continuation of the panchayat election process in the state. This decision, announced on Friday, brings significant relief to the state government, as the Court lifted its earlier stay order issued on June 23. A division…
Supreme Court Refuses to Stay Department Proceedings Against Former Nagaland Judge Over Missing Bail Funds: New Delhi – India’s Supreme Court has refused to intervene in ongoing departmental proceedings against a former Principal District and Sessions Judge from Dimapur, Nagaland. The judge faces allegations of misappropriating ₹14 lakh in cash surety deposits. On Friday, a vacation…
Basavaraj Bommai Hate Speech Case in Karnataka High Court: Bengaluru – The Karnataka High Court on Friday dismissed two criminal cases filed against former Chief Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Basavaraj Bommai. The cases involved allegations of hate speech. Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar, presiding over a single-judge bench, ruled that continuing these…
Kerala High Court Judge Calls for New Law to Regulate Social Media: Kochi, India – In a significant farewell speech, Kerala High Court Judge Justice P.B. Suresh Kumar, who is set to retire on Monday, has called for a new law to regulate social media in India. His impassioned plea on Friday highlighted concerns that…
Commercial Courts Act Applies Only to Properties Exclusively Used for Trade: MP High Court: Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh – June 30, 2025 – In a significant clarification on the jurisdiction of Commercial Courts, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that for a dispute involving immovable property to fall under the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, the…
Enforcement Directorate (ED) Notice to Advocates: New Delhi – India’s Supreme Court has raised a fundamental question about the independence of the legal profession. It has put a temporary stop to the Gujarat Police summoning a lawyer for questioning in a criminal case involving his client. The Court highlighted that forcing lawyers to appear before…
MT Miskita & Co Advises Adani Group on $3.2 Billion Dharavi Redevelopment Project: Mumbai, India – June 30, 2025 – The Adani Group, a prominent Indian conglomerate, is advancing with one of the nation’s most ambitious urban renewal initiatives: the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. Valued at a staggering $3.2 billion, this monumental undertaking aims to transform…
JSA Advocates, S&R Associates Advise on Oswal Pumps Limited’s Rs 1694 crore IPO: New Delhi, India – June 30, 2025 – Oswal Pumps Limited, a rapidly expanding Indian manufacturer in the pumps and electrical equipment sector, has successfully launched its Initial Public Offering (IPO), aiming to raise approximately ₹1,694 crore. This significant market debut includes…
Arbitration Clause No Automatic Bar to Civil Suits Unless Timely Section 8 Plea Filed: Delhi High Court: New Delhi – The mere presence of an arbitration clause in a contract does not automatically strip a civil court of its jurisdiction over a dispute, the Delhi High Court has recently affirmed. The Court clarified that a…
Supreme Court of India Issues New Guidelines for Record Keeping: India’s top court has set new rules. They aim to make its record keeping better. This will bring more accountability. It will also improve efficiency. Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai spoke about the changes. He said the court’s offices have more records now. There…
Madras High Court Issues Contempt Notices to IAS Officers Over Temple Land Encroachment: Chennai, India – The Madras High Court has taken a stern view on the alleged encroachment of temple land, issuing contempt notices to five Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and other officials for non-compliance with a previous court order. The bench, comprising…
Chhattisgarh High Court Launches E-Summons and Hospital VC Facilities: Raipur, Chhattisgarh – June 30, 2025 – In a significant leap towards modernizing the judicial system in Chhattisgarh, the High Court has ceremonially inaugurated Digitization Centres in the District & Sessions Courts of Raigarh, Janjgir-Champa, Korba, and Bemetara. The virtual event, held on June 25, 2025,…
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday stayed trial court proceedings in a misleading advertisement case filed against Divya Pharmacy (affiliated to Patanjali Ayurved) and its co-founder-promoter Acharya Balakrishna [M/S Divya Pharmacy and anr v. State of Karnataka and anr]. Justice SR Krishna Kumar passed the interim stay order on a petition by Divya Pharmacy and…
The Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust, which operates the famous Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, has filed a petition before the Bombay High Court seeking transfer of investigation against HDFC Bank MD and CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) [Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust Through Prashant Mehta vs Union of India and…
The Calcutta High Court recently held that Kolkata’s Eden Gardens cricket stadium is not a public space under the law [The Calcutta Municipal Corporation & Ors v The Cricket Association of West Bengal & Ors]. A Division Bench of Justices Arijit Banerjee and Kaushik Chanda observed that neither the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act, 1980 nor…
The Bombay High Court on Monday ruled an election cannot be declared void under the Representation of the People Act of 1951 (RP Act) solely because the candidate added a column in the election affidavit to disclose his second marriage [Sudhir Brijendra Jain v Rajendra Dhedya Gavit] The Court was dealing with a petition challenging…
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co acted as the legal counsel for Namrata Soni, the co-founder and promoter of Simply Nam Beauty Private Limited, in connection with a strategic investment by Bhaane Group, led by Anand S Ahuja and Sonam Kapoor Ahuja. The firm provided comprehensive legal support, including transaction structuring, drafting, negotiation, and finalization of…
Trans Women Can File Cruelty Complaint Under Section 498A IPC: Andhra High Court: Amaravati, India – June 30, 2025 – In a landmark decision that significantly broadens the scope of legal protection for transgender individuals in marital relationships, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has ruled that a trans woman can file a complaint of cruelty…
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed an army commando, convicted under Section 304B of the Indian Penal Code (dowry death), to surrender before the authorities within two weeks. A Bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and K Vinod Chandran rejected his plea for exemption from surrendering during pendency of his appeal and also rejected his argument…
The Andhra Pradesh High Court recently ruled that a trans woman in a heterosexual relationship cannot be deprived of her right to lodge a complaint of cruelty under Section 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) [Viswanathan Krishna Murthy vs The State of Andhra…
Supreme Court to Frame Guidelines for Issue of OBC Certificate for Children of Single Mothers: New Delhi – The Supreme Court of India is poised to frame comprehensive guidelines concerning the issuance of Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to children raised by single mothers. A key aspect of this deliberation will be to address the…
Supreme Court Pulls Up Registry for Delay in Listing of Pending Bail Matters: New Delhi – India’s Supreme Court has told its own administrative body, the Registry, to speed up cases involving bail. The Court said such cases, known as special leave petitions (SLPs) for bail, should not be left pending for too long without…
The Delhi High Court has granted an ex parte dynamic+ injunction in favour of British sports content streaming platform DAZN, to prevent rogue websites from streaming the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup 2025, over which DAZN holds exclusive streaming rights [Dazn Limited & Anr vs Buffsports.me & Ors]. DAZN submitted that it had acquired the…
CJI BR Gavai Criticizes Bulldozer Justice: The executive cannot become judge, jury and executioner, Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai said earlier this week while highlighting the Supreme Court’s ruling against retributive demolition of private properties by government authorities in India. “More recently, the Court in Re: Directions in the matter of demolition of…
Lenskart admits its use of Titan trademark was a mistake in Delhi High Court: Multinational eyewear company Lenskart informed the Delhi High Court recently that its use of the Titan and Fastrack trademarks and metatags was an inadvertent mistake [Titan Company Limited vs Lenskart Solutions Private Limited & Anr]. Advocate Nishchal Anand, appearing for Lenskart,…
DMD Advocates advised Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys Limited (IMFA) on its power purchase arrangement with AMPIN Energy Utility One Private Limited (AMPIN). The Firm was involved in legal due diligence, as well as drafting and negotiating the transaction documents.
Rajani Associates has acted as sole Legal Counsel to Lloyds Engineering Works and the Lead Manager, Mark Corporate Advisors Private Limited, on this rights issue. The transaction team was led by Sangeeta Lakhi (Senior Partner), with assistance from Deepansh Jain (Associate). The Firm had also advised Lloyds Engineering on their rights issue in 2024.
JSA Advocates & Solicitors has advised MUFG Bank, Ltd. and Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank in connection with rupee term loan facilities aggregating ₹817 crore, availed by Enren-II Energy Private Limited, a project company of Engie, for the development of a solar farm in Gujarat. The JSA team was led by Karan Mitroo (Partner), with support from Purvi Dabbiru (Partner), Aishwarya Dixit (Senior Associate), and Shantanu Awasthi (Associate).
Waterways Leisure Tourism, the parent company of Cordelia Cruises—India’s only domestic ocean cruise brand, on June 17, officially filed a Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with SEBI to raise ₹727 crore via an Initial Public Offering (IPO). AZB & Partners is acting for the company according to DRHP.
Dr. Ambedkar’s portrait to be installed in all Courts in Karnataka: The Karnataka High Court has notified that a portrait of Dr. BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution of India, would be put up in all court halls of High Court Benches in Bengaluru, Dharwad and Kalburgi as well as all court halls in…
The Blackstone Group has acquired South City Projects (Kolkata) Limited (“SCPKL”) from its existing shareholders, comprising Merlin Group, Sureka Group, Emami Group, JB Group, Shrachi Group and Rameswara Group, for ₹3,250 crore. SCPKL houses the iconic “South City Mall” in Kolkata, West Bengal.
Calcutta High Court stays stipend payment to tainted non-teaching staff: The Calcutta High Court on Friday stayed the State government’s scheme offering a stipend to the 2016 batch non-teaching staff who had lost their jobs after the Supreme Court held their selections to be tainted [Prokash Mandal & Anr v The State of West Bengal…
Emergency era verdict by Supreme Court was ‘darkest’ in judicial history: Vice President Dhankhar: Supreme Court of India’s emergency-era judgment was the darkest in judicial history, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Friday. Dhankhar said that during times of crisis, people turn to the judiciary for protection. However, the Supreme Court of India declined to…
The Allahabad High Court recently restrained Asok Pandey, who was sentenced to six months imprisonment for contempt of court in April, from practicing at Allahabad and Lucknow Benches of the High Court for three years [State of UP v Asok Pande] The Division Bench of Justice Vivek Chaudhary and Justice Brij Raj Singh also restrained…
No Jurisdiction to Set Aside Arbitral Award if Section 34 Application is Time-Barred: Gujarat High Court: Ahmedabad, India – June 30, 2025 – In a significant ruling clarifying the jurisdictional limits of courts in arbitration matters, the Gujarat High Court has unequivocally held that once an application to set aside an arbitral award under Section…
Unregistered Homestays and PG Hostels Illegal, says Gujarat High Court: Ahmedabad, India – June 30, 2025 – In a significant ruling aimed at regulating commercial accommodations, the Gujarat High Court has declared that operating premises as a Home Stay or Paying Guest (P.G.) hostel without proper registration and mandatory permissions from the authorities is illegal…
WhatsApp Chats Admissible in Divorce Cases, says Madhya Pradesh High Court: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh – June 30, 2025 – In a significant ruling that weighs the right to privacy against the pursuit of justice in matrimonial disputes, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on June 18, 2025, held that WhatsApp chats can be admitted as evidence…
Korba Rape-Murder Case: Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh – June 30, 2025 – In a highly anticipated judgment, the Chhattisgarh High Court last week commuted the death sentences of five men convicted in the horrific 2021 Korba gangrape and murder case. While upholding their conviction for the brutal gangrape and murder of a 16-year-old girl and the slaying…
Chhattisgarh High Court Bars Litigants, Parties From Carrying Mobile Phones in Courtrooms: Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh – June 30, 2025 – In a move aimed at preserving the sanctity and decorum of judicial proceedings, the Chhattisgarh High Court has issued a strict notification barring litigants and parties from carrying mobile phones or any other electronic devices inside…
Entry of Foreign Law Firms in India – BCI Forms Cyril Shroff led Panel: New Delhi – The Bar Council of India (BCI) has established a new, high-profile committee. Its purpose is to address concerns from Indian lawyers and law firms regarding the recent rules allowing foreign legal entities to operate in India. This decision…
Indo-UK Arbitration Conference: London, UK – July 5, 2025 – The third edition of the International Conference on Arbitrating Indo-UK Commercial Disputes successfully concluded in London last week, bringing together legal luminaries and policymakers from both nations to discuss the future of dispute resolution in an increasingly interconnected global economy. The event underscored the shared legal heritage between India and the United Kingdom and highlighted opportunities for enhanced cooperation in building robust and efficient arbitration ecosystems.
Annual Increment Cannot Be Denied to Retiring Government Employees: Patna High Court: Patna, Bihar – In a significant ruling for government employees, the Patna High Court has declared that annual increments cannot be denied on mere technical grounds if a full year of service has been completed. A bench led by Justice Satyavrat Verma held…
Christianity Has No Caste, Dalit Converts Cannot Invoke SC/ST Act: Andhra High Court: Amaravati, India – June 30, 2025 – In a significant legal pronouncement with far-reaching implications for religious conversions and caste-based reservations, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has ruled that Christianity, as a religion, does not recognize the concept of caste. Consequently, individuals…
