Calcutta High Court Quashes LOC Against Ex-Elder Pharma Employee In ₹1,300 Crore SFIO Probe

The Calcutta High Court has quashed a Look Out Circular against Debanjan Hazra, a former Elder Pharmaceuticals employee living in China since 2013, holding that it violated his right to personal liberty under Article 21.Earlier, a single judge of the Calcutta High Court had refused to quash the Look Out Circular. A Division Bench of Justices Shampa Sarkar and Ajay Kumar Gupta, in appeal, held the LOC was based on “speculative apprehension” and was “arbitrary and disproportionate,”...

Company Auditor's General Observation Not Adverse Remark, Can't Trigger Criminal Liability: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court at Goa on Monday quashed criminal proceedings initiated against the directors of a company under the Companies Act, 1956, holding that the auditor's remark was merely a general observation or recommendation and did not constitute a “reservation, qualification, or adverse remark” so as to attract penal liability. A bench of Justice Ashish S. Chavan was dealing with a writ petition filed by the directors of Timblo Private Limited challenging the order of the Judicial...

Stamp Duty On Amalgamation Cannot Be Based on Goodwill, Share Premium Account Entries: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court has held that while an amalgamation order is chargeable to stamp duty as a “conveyance”, stamp authorities cannot levy duty on such an order by treating accounting entries such as goodwill, share premium, or profit and loss figures as consideration in the absence of any real issuance of shares or payment of money. Holding that amounts reflected in accounts can be considered for stamp duty only if they are clearly linked to actual issuance of shares or real payment of...

Calcutta HC Refuses To Stay Single Judge Order In Chrestien Mica Liquidation Case Over Fraud Allegations

The Calcutta High Court has refused to stay a single judge's order that stepped in to undo alleged fraudulent dealings in the decades-old liquidation of Chrestien Mica Industries Ltd., holding that the High Court exercising company jurisdiction retains authority once winding-up proceedings reach an “irreversible stage." A division bench of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya said the transfer of such cases to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) is permissible...

Offences Under IBC Triable By Special Court Where Registered Office Is Located: Madhya Pradesh High Court

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on 9 April held that offences under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) must be tried by the Special Court having jurisdiction over the place where the company's registered office is situated, and not on the basis of the residence of directors or the place of alleged non-compliance. A Single-Judge Bench of Justice Rajesh Kumar Gupta directed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India to file its complaint against Vinay Bhadauria before the...

Death Of Shareholder Led To AGM Default, NCLT Mumbai Compounds Offence, Cuts Fine To ₹1.16 Lakh

Holding that the default occurred on account of the death of a shareholder, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Mumbai, has compounded the offence arising from the delay in holding the Annual General Meeting of Dighi Agencies Private Limited for FY 2016–17. A coram of Judicial Member Lakshmi Gurung and Technical Member Hariharan Neelakanta Iyer imposed a total compounding fee of Rs. 1.16 lakh, as against the maximum fine computed by the Registrar of Companies at over Rs. 1.63 crore.The...

Calcutta High Court Quashes ROC-Initiated Criminal Proceedings Against Binani Cements Officials Over Filing Error

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday quashed criminal proceedings initiated by the Registrar of Companies against the Company Secretary and a Director of Binani Cements Ltd. over an error in XBRL filings made with the Registrar, holding that the absence of mens rea and non-compliance with the mandatory procedure under Section 202 CrPC rendered the prosecution unsustainable.Justice Uday Kumar, while dealing with criminal revisional applications filed by Atul Pukhraj Falgunia and Ramkrishna...

Madras High Court Refuses To Fast-Track Karti Chidambaram's NCLT Plea Seeking Defreezing Of Bank Account

The Madras High Court on Thursday refused to direct the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Chennai Bench, to expeditiously dispose of an application filed by Karti P. Chidambaram, son of former Union Minister P. Chidambaram, in PMLA proceedings against him, seeking defreezing of his bank account, holding that such directions would place “unnecessary pressure” on judicial forums. A Division Bench of Justice S.M. Subramaniam and Justice K. Surender said constitutional courts must exercise...

NCLT Bar Body Moves Allahabad HC Against Joint Scrutiny Of Allahabad Bench Filings, Alleges Repeated Defect Objections

The Company Law Tribunal Bar Association, Prayagraj, has moved the Allahabad High Court challenging a public notice dated February 27, 2026 issued by the Registrar of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Principal Bench, which alters the scrutiny mechanism for filings before the Jaipur and Allahabad Benches. Under the impugned notice, scrutiny of matters filed before the NCLT Jaipur Bench is to be undertaken by the Jaipur registry itself, while scrutiny of matters filed before the...

Karnataka High Court Sets Aside $114,041 Decree, Says Time-Barred Claims Cannot Be Revived By Assignment

The Karnataka High Court has recently set aside a Commercial Court order directing Komtech Plastic Technologies India Pvt. Ltd. to pay USD 114,041 to Zrii Technologies Inc., holding that a time-barred claim cannot be revived through assignment of receivables, while modifying relief granted on equity shares.A Division Bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Poonacha held that the Commercial Court had erred in treating the dispute as a declaratory suit and in concluding that the claim...

Civil Courts Cannot Decide Shareholder Disputes Requiring Rectification Of Register: Bombay High Court

On 6 April, the Bombay High Court held that only the NCLT can decide disputes over shareholding or rectification of the register of members, and civil courts have no jurisdiction under Section 430 of the Companies Act, 2013. A Bench of Justice R.I. Chagla heard Notices of Motion in a suit filed by the son and ex-wife of a deceased shareholder of Panache Securities Pvt Ltd, who alleged that individuals claiming to act on behalf of the company fraudulently transferred shares, removed a director,...

HSCC MD Not A 'Civil Post' Under Union, CAT Lacks Jurisdiction: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has held that the managing director of HSCC India, a government-owned company, does not hold a civil post under the Union and therefore cannot invoke the jurisdiction of the Central Administrative Tribunal.A bench of Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Amit Mahajan said the position was corporate in nature. “Having meticulously examined the nature of the post held by the Respondent No.1, and upon drawing a clear distinction between an employee of the Union and an employee of an...