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,...

GST Registration Cancellation Unsustainable When Hearing & Decision Were Made By Different Authorities: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court held that a GST registration cancellation order is unsustainable where the personal hearing is granted by one authority, but the final order is passed by another. Justice Om Narayan Rai stated that, interestingly, while the notice for personal hearing was issued by the Assistant Commissioner, CGST & CX, Burrabazar Division, but the order impugned has...

Entry-Tax Interest & Penalty From Employer's Delay Cannot Be Shifted To Contractor In Arbitration: HP High Court

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has recently clarified that statutory interest and penalty arising from delayed payment of entry tax cannot be shifted onto a contractor when the delay was caused by the employer's own failure to act in time, and where the arbitral tribunal had consciously restricted the contractor's scope of liability. Justice Ajay Mohan Goel in an order dated...

Customs Act | Wrong Classification Alone Cannot Trigger Section 111(o) Without Breach Of Exemption Conditions: CESTAT Delhi

The New Delhi Principal Bench of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has held that mere denial of a customs exemption due to wrong classification of goods does not, by itself, render the goods liable to confiscation under Section 111(o) of the Customs Act, 1962, unless the exemption was conditional and such condition stood breached. The Tribunal clarified...

Foreign Trade Policy | Natural Honey Exports Capped At USD 1,400 Per Metric Ton Till March 2026, Notifies DGFT

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has notified that Minimum Export Price (MEP) for Natural Honey will be USD 1,400 per metric ton and exports below this price would not be permitted. In a Notification dated December 31, 2025, DGFT has notified extension by revising the Export Policy condition for Honey falling under tariff heading ITC HS 04090000 till March 31 2026,...

Union Govt Notifies Trade Deals With New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway & Iceland; Eliminates Duty On 100% Of Indian Exports

The Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue has notified 100% Duty-Free Exports under four major Free Trade Agreements with New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland. Indian exports would be partially exempt from various Rates like Basic Customs Duty and fully exempt from Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess as well as Health Cess. India also concluded two more...

Delhi High Court Grants Dynamic Injunction Against Piracy Sites Streaming Warner Bros, Netflix Content

The Delhi High Court has granted an ex parte ad interim dynamic+ injunction restraining dozens of piracy websites from hosting or making available copyrighted films and television shows owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and other global entertainment companies. The injunction will operate until April 20, 2026. The suit was filed by Warner Bros along with other major global...

Business Law Daily Round-Up: January 02, 2026

TAX New RSP Based Valuation Mechanism, 40% GST Rate On Pan Masala, Cigarettes, Cigars, Tobacco Products From February 01No GST On Liquidated Damages For Breach Of Contract: Karnataka High Court Quashes SCNER-1 Returns Don't Require Detailed CENVAT Disclosure; Extended Limitation Not Invocable: CESTAT DelhiIPRDelhi High Court Upholds Order Rejecting Ericsson's Data Security Invention...

Notification Defining Jurisdiction Does Not Automatically Empower All Officers To Invoke S. 122 CGST Act: AP High Court

The Andhra Pradesh High Court held that a notification merely defining or fixing the territorial jurisdiction of officers cannot be construed as conferring the power to initiate penalty proceedings under Section 122 of the CGST Act. Section 122 of the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act, 2017 is the primary provision defining various GST-related offences and the...

NCLT Jaipur Imposes Rs 5 Lakh Cost On Jaipur Company for Malicious Voluntary Insolvency Plea

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) at Jaipur has imposed a cost of Rs. 5 lakh on a Jaipur-based company after holding that it had misused the insolvency process to block recovery action by State Bank of India.The tribunal dismissed the insolvency petition filed by M.D. Suitings Pvt. Ltd. for its own insolvency under Section 10 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, finding it to...

Oppression Must Be Continuous, Ex Shareholder Cannot File Oppression Plea: NCLT Chennai

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) at Chennai recently reiterated that oppression must be continuous and ongoing and that a person who has ceased to be a shareholder cannot file a plea alleging oppression and mismanagement. A coram of Judicial Member Jyoti Kumar Tripathi and Technical Member Ravichandran Ramasamy said such remedies are available only to existing members whose rights...

Flavoured Milk Is Not 'Beverage'; Taxable At 5% GST: Karnataka High Court Provides Relief To Dodla Dairy

The Karnataka High Court held that flavoured milk qualifies as a dairy product under Tariff Heading 0402 and not as a 'beverage' under Tariff Heading 2202. Consequently, GST at 5% will be applicable on flavoured milk instead of 12%. Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar examined the classification of the flavoured milk under the GST, considering whether it falls under Tariff...