Patna High Court Confirms Conviction Of Tax Assistant For Accepting ₹600 Bribe To Process Income Tax Refund

The Patna High Court has upheld the conviction of a Tax Assistant for demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹600 for processing an income tax refund, confirming the sentence imposed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The single bench of Justice Alok Kumar Pandey noted that it is crystal clear that the place of occurrence is the Income Tax Office, Sasaram, where the...

Delhi High Court Sets Aside Patent Office Order Rejecting Emitec Emissions Dosing Device

The Delhi High Court has set aside a Patent Office order rejecting a patent application filed by Emitec Gesellschaft für Emissionstechnologie mbH, a Germany-based automotive emissions firm, for a reducing-agent dosing device that helps cut vehicle pollution.A single-judge bench of Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, in a judgment pronounced on December 24, 2025, held that the Patent...

NCLT Chandigarh Approves Merger Of HPCL-Mittal Pipelines With HPCL-Mittal Energy

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) at Chandigarh has approved the merger of HPCL-Mittal Pipelines Limited into HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited, a public–private joint venture between state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and the Mittal Group. The order allows the pipeline company to be dissolved without winding up.The order was passed by a coram of Judicial Member...

Income Tax | Delay in Filing Form 10-B Due To COVID Cannot Deny S.11 Exemption: Andhra Pradesh High Court

The Andhra Pradesh High Court held that the exemption under Section 11 of the Income Tax Act cannot be denied merely on account of delay in filing the Form 10-B Audit Report when such delay was caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Justices Battu Devanand and A. Hari Haranadha Sarma observed that the assessee is a religious and charitable society and has to comply with the instructions...

Royalty Under Mining Lease Executed Before 1 April 2016 Not Taxable; CESTAT Delhi Remands Service Tax Demand Case

The New Delhi Principal Bench of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has remanded a service tax demand raised on mining royalty paid to the State Government, holding that where the mining lease was executed prior to 1 April 2016, the applicability of service tax must be examined in light of the negative list regime under the Finance Act, 1994 . The...

[Bihar Excise Act] Patna High Court Slashes 90% Penalty On Insurance Declared Value Of Seized Motorcycle To 10% In Liquor Case

The Patna High Court has relaxed an excessive penalty of 90% of Insurance Declared Value (IDV) to 10% on a motorcycle seized in a liquor-related offence. A Division Bench comprising Justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad and Justice Sourendra Pandey held that, considering the quantum of liquor (18 litres), applying Rule 12A of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Rules, 2021, which prescribes 10%...

GST | ITC Not Available On Construction Of Warehouse Used For Storage Or Leasing: Gujarat AAR

The Gujarat Authority for Advance Ruling (AAR) has held that input tax credit (ITC) is not admissible on goods and services used for construction of a warehouse or shed, even when such warehouse is used for providing taxable storage and warehousing services or is leased out for business purposes. The ruling was delivered by the bench of CGST Member Vishal Malani and SGST...

HSNS Cess | CBIC's Flyer On Health Se National Security Cess, Monthly Cess Payable By Feb 07, Return Due By March 20

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has issued informative flyers relating to 'Capacity Based Excise Duty' and Health Se National Security Cess (HSNS) payable by manufacturers of Pan Masala, Tobacco from February 01 2026. With the introduction of the Health & National Security Cess and Additional Excise Duties on Pan Masala, Tobacco and Other Allied Products,...

NCLT Chandigarh Clears First Motion For NIIT Merger With Wholly Owned Subsidiaries

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) at Chandigarh has cleared the first step in a merger plan involving NIIT Limited, a listed Gurugram-based company best known for skills training and talent development, and its two wholly owned subsidiaries.A coram of Judicial Member Khetrabasi Biswal and Technical Member Kaushalendra Kumar Singh allowed the first motion and waived meetings of...

Bombay High Court Bars Restaurant Chains Operating 94 Outlets From Playing PPL Music Without License

The Bombay High Court has, in an interim order, restrained two restaurant operators running around 94 outlets from publicly playing music from Phonographic Performance Limited's repertoire without a license after finding a prima facie case of copyright infringement. Justice Sharmila U. Deshmukh, in an order pronounced on December 24, 2025, held that continued unauthorised use would cause...

NCLT Mumbai Approves ₹16.10 Crore Klassic Wheels' Resolution Plan for Indian Refrigerator Company

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) at Mumbai has approved a Rs. 16.10 crore resolution plan submitted by Klassic Wheels Ltd for the revival of debt-laden Indian Refrigerator Company Ltd, bringing the resolution process to an end.A coram of Judicial Member Nilesh Sharma and Technical Member Charanjeet Singh Gulati, in an order dated December 19, 2025, held that the plan complied with...

GST| Tobacco In Small Retail Packs Classifiable As 'Chewing Tobacco': Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court, in a bunch of matters concerning classification of Raw Tobacco Leaves packed and sold in retail pouches, were classifiable as 'Chewing Tobacco' irrespective of whether it was scented, fermented or liquored and re-packed or re-labelled. In a recent judgment delivered by a Division Bench comprising Justice Bhargav D. Karia and Justice Pranav Trivedi,...