No Break-Up, No VAT Proof: CESTAT Allahabad Upholds ₹2.19 Crore Service Tax Demand Against Lakmé Franchise Beauty Salon

The Allahabad Bench of Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) held that in the absence of any documentary break-up between service receipts and retail sale of goods, the entire receipts of the Lakme Franchise beauty salon are liable to service tax. P. Dinesha (Judicial Member) and Sanjiv Srivastava (Technical Member) stated that no Notes on Accounts, which...

Calcutta High Court Temporarily Bars Use of 'Liv.72' Mark Over Similarity With Himalaya's Liv.52

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday temporarily restrained Shimla Drugs Health Care Pvt. Ltd. and its associate from using the mark “Liv.72” for a health product, holding that it is deceptively similar to Himalaya Global Holdings Ltd.'s well-known liver health product “Liv.52.” A single bench of Justice Ravi Krishan Kapur observed that the long-standing trademark and packaging...

Delhi High Court Upholds Injunction Against Use Of 'Medilice Lice Killer' For Anti-Lice Hair Oil

The Delhi High Court has recently upheld an injunction restraining Rapple Healthcare from using the mark “Medilice Lice Killer” for its anti-lice hair oil, holding that it infringed and amounted to passing off of the registered trademark “MEDILICE” owned by Wings Pharmaceuticals Private Limited. The court, however, reduced the damages awarded to Wings Pharmaceuticals from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. A division bench of Justice C Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla dismissed an appeal...

Bombay High Court Stays Fraud Proceedings Against Anil Ambani Over Prima Facie Defective Forensic Audit

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday stayed fraud classification proceedings initiated by Indian Overseas Bank, IDBI Bank and Bank of Baroda against Anil Ambani, founder and chairman of the Reliance Group, after prima facie finding serious defects in the forensic audit relied upon by the banks. A single-judge bench of Justice Milind N. Jadhav, while granting interim relief, held that the forensic audit report dated October 15, 2020, prepared by BDO LLP, was “not being in consonance with the RBI...

Reliance Industries Entitled To Proportionate Cenvat Credit On Insurance Services For Post 01.07.2003 Period: CESTAT Ahmedabad

The Ahmedabad Bench of Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) held that Reliance Industries Ltd. is entitled to avail Cenvat credit on insurance services on a proportionate basis for the period on or after 01.07.2003, when Business Auxiliary Service became taxable. Somesh Arora (Judicial Member) and Satendra Vikram Singh (Technical Member) examined whether...

NCLT Bengaluru Slaps ₹5 Lakh Penalty On Lifestyle International For Non-Disclosure In Capital Reduction Plea

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) Bengaluru has approved a Rs. 6.08 crore reduction in the share capital of Lifestyle International Private Limited, a fashion and lifestyle retail company, but imposed a Rs. 5 lakh penalty for what it termed a “casual approach” to the proceedings. A coram of Judicial Member Sunil Kumar Aggarwal and Technical Member Radhakrishna Sreepada passed the order on December 15, 2025. The tribunal approved the selective capital reduction under Section 66 of the...

IBC Cannot Be Used As Recovery Mechanism To Resolve Contractual Disputes: NCLAT Reaffirms

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) at Delhi has reiterated that insolvency proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code cannot be used as a recovery mechanism to settle disputed contractual claims. A coram comprising of Chairperson Justice Ashok Bhushan and Technical Member Barun Mitra dismissed an appeal filed by FTI Consulting India Pvt. Ltd. against the rejection...

NCLT's Power To Order Forensic Audit Is Self-Ordained, No Separate Application Needed: NCLAT

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) at Chennai on Tuesday held that the National Company Law Tribunal can direct a forensic audit on its own even if no party has filed a separate application seeking such relief. A bench of Judicial Member Justice Sharad Kumar Sharma and Technical Member Indevar Pandey dismissed an appeal filed by Able Automobiles Private Limited and...

Central & State GST Authorities Must Coordinate To Avoid Multiple Adjudications On Same Issue: Himachal Pradesh High Court

The Himachal Pradesh High Court, applying the Supreme Court's Armour Security case, held that once proceedings are initiated by either the State or Central GST authority, parallel adjudicatory proceedings on the same issue are barred under Section 6(2)(b) of the CGST Act. The Court directed both authorities to coordinate and ensure that the assessee is not subjected to...

Income Tax | Revised 2024 Compounding Guidelines Cannot Be Applied After Case Attains Finality: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court held that once the assessee's entitlement to compounding had attained finality through earlier orders, then the Income Tax Department could not apply the revised Compounding Guidelines. Justice C. Saravanan referred to the Explanation to Section 279(6) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 and noted that the new compounding Guidelines dated 17.10.2024 bearing...

GSTAT Withdraws Staggered Filing Requirement for GST Second Appeals; Allows Unrestricted E-Filing

The Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) has withdrawn the requirement of staggered filing of Goods and Services Tax (GST) second appeals, allowing appeals to be filed without any phase-wise or date-based restriction. Through an order dated December 16, 2025, issued by the President of the Tribunal, Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra, GSTAT revoked its earlier order dated...

CESTAT Mumbai Holds Amendment Of Bills Of Entry U/S 149 Customs Act Is Legally Recognised Mode Of Modifying Assessment

The Mumbai Bench of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has allowed an appeal filed by Drive India Enterprises Solutions Ltd., setting aside an order passed by the Commissioner of Customs (Appeals) which had rejected a refund of excess countervailing duty (CVD) paid on imported mobile handsets. A Bench comprising Customs, Excise and Service Tax...