IndiGo has moved the Delhi HC seeking a refund of over ₹900 crore paid as customs duty on aircraft engines and parts re-imported after overseas repairs.

The petition arises from the airline’s claim that the duty amounted to an unconstitutional double levy, since GST was already discharged on the repair service.

IndiGo submitted that it paid the duty under protest across more than 4,000 bills of entry to avoid grounding aircraft, yet refund claims were denied for want of reassessment. IndiGo relied on earlier tribunal rulings holding that such re-imports cannot attract duty twice.

Justice Shail Jain recused from the case; it will now be listed before another Bench.

[InterGlobe Aviation v. Deputy Commissioner (Refund) Customs]

The Supreme Court has stayed the Kerala High Court’s declaration that the Munambam land in Ernakulam district is not waqf property and directed that the status quo be maintained until January 27, 2026.

The interim direction came while issuing notice on a plea by the Kerala Waqf Samrakshana Vedhi, which argued that the High Court exceeded its remit by ruling on the nature of the land despite the issue being pending before the Waqf Tribunal.

The Court clarified that although the declaration is stayed, the inquiry commission headed by Justice CN Ramachandran Nair may continue its investigation.

The petitioners argued that the High Court exceeded its jurisdiction by deciding the waqf status despite the issue being pending before the Waqf Tribunal.

[Kerala Waqf Samrakshana Vedhi (Registered) v. State of Kerala]

The Bombay High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against former ICICI Bank MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar and other senior officials in a case alleging evasion of octroi on the import of gold coins into Pune.

The Court held that the prosecution failed to establish its role in the alleged offence. However, it refused to extend the relief to ICICI Bank itself, observing that the charges against the institution required examination at trial.

The case will, therefore, continue against the bank while proceedings against the individual officials stand closed.

[ICICI Bank & Ors v. State of Maharashtra & Anr.]

A committee set up by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has released a working paper recommending that AI developers should be allowed to use copyrighted material for training Large Language Models, provided they pay a fair fee to copyright holders.

The panel observed that unrestricted scraping of protected works raises concerns under existing copyright law and stressed the need for a balanced framework that supports innovation while safeguarding creators’ rights.

The recommendations are expected to guide future policy discussions on regulating AI training datasets and compensating rights owners.

Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has filed a petition before the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality rights, including his name, image, and likeness.

Gavaskar contended that various platforms were using his identity without permission, resulting in commercial exploitation and violation of his rights.

The Court has directed platforms to treat his petition as a formal complaint under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and decide on it within a specified timeframe.

The case highlights the growing concern over digital misuse of celebrity identities and the need for stronger safeguards against such violations.

[Sunil Gavaskar v. Cricket Tak (CricketTak557) & Ors.]

The Supreme Court has allowed the continuation of an inquiry under the POSH Act against IRS officer Dr. Sohail Malik, who is accused of sexually harassing an IAS officer.

The Court held that the Internal Committee of the IAS officer’s department can proceed with the investigation even though the accused officer works in another ministry.

It said that the purpose of the law would be defeated if jurisdiction depended on organisational boundaries rather than the workplace where the complainant faced harassment. 

The proceedings will now continue before the Committee. 

[Dr. Sohail Malik v. Union of India & Anr.]

The Delhi High Court observed that no special fast-track courts exist in the capital for trying honour killing cases, despite the Supreme Court’s 2018 directions in Shakti Vahini v Union of India. The Court said it would examine the issue through its administrative side in consultation with the Delhi government.

The Bench directed the petitioners, including the mother of a victim, to make a representation to the High Court’s administrative side and the Delhi government so that the matter can be considered through proper consultation.

It added that any gaps identified would be addressed appropriately.

With these observations, the writ petition was closed, allowing the petitioners to pursue the representation process.

[Dhanak of Humanity & Anr v. State of NCT of Delhi & Anr.]

The Delhi High Court quashed an FIR alleging criminal medical negligence against Venkateshwar Hospital and its senior gynaecologist for leaving a cotton mop inside a patient’s abdomen during a C-section.

The Court observed that while the lapse was serious and warranted censure, it did not reflect recklessness or the mens rea required for criminal prosecution, making it a matter more suited for civil liability

The patient confirmed receiving ₹14 lakh compensation and expressed no desire to continue the criminal proceedings.

The FIR was quashed subject to payment of ₹25,000 by the hospital and doctor to the Delhi Police Martyrs’ Fund.

[Venkateshwar Hospital & Anr. v. State of NCT Delhi & Anr.]

The Delhi High Court has directed social media intermediaries, including Meta, Google, and X, to act on Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s complaint alleging unauthorised commercial use of his personality traits.

The Court asked Kalyan to submit the details and URLs of infringing content within two days, and directed the intermediaries to take action within a week, adding that any reservations must be communicated to him.

Kalyan has alleged that several social media and e-commerce entities are exploiting his image, name and likeness without permission. 

The case will be taken up again on December 22. 

[Pawan Kalyan v. Meta Platforms & Ors.]

The Delhi High Court has granted default bail to Jaivardhan Dhawan in an NDPS case, holding that extending the investigation period without notice violated Article 21.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna observed that an accused must be produced, physically or virtually, when the prosecution seeks more time for investigation, as this safeguard is essential to protect the right to default bail.

Dhawan was arrested after seizure of Codeine Phosphate tablets from multiple consignments, though only a small quantity was allegedly recovered from his residence.

Finding that the mandatory requirement of notice was not followed, the High Court set aside the extension order and held that Dhawan’s right to default bail accrued automatically.

[Jaivardhan Dhawan v. Narcotics Control Bureau]

The Gujarat High Court has issued notice on a PIL alleging that edible oils are being illegally packaged and sold in reused tin containers, posing serious risks to public health.

The petition, filed by a consumer protection body, claimed that discarded tins are being repurposed by sellers despite a complete ban under the Food Safety and Standards Act and the 2011 Packaging and Labelling Regulations.

The Court asked the Union and State governments to file their responses and took note of photographs showing the alleged violations.

The matter will be heard next on January 22, 2026.

[All India Consumer Protection and Action Committee v. Union of India & Ors.]

Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, linked to the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub where a fire killed 25 people, have sought four weeks’ transit anticipatory bail in a Delhi court. 

They stated they had traveled to Thailand for work and expressed willingness to cooperate with the investigation. The Delhi court, however, denied immediate relief.

Meanwhile, Goa authorities have started demolishing the nightclub’s Vagator beach property, and Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice.

The probe continues, with co-owner Ajay Gupta already in police custody.

The Supreme Court has held that a Referral Court under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act can examine whether a non-signatory is a real party to the arbitration agreement. 

The Court clarified that this inquiry is prima facie and limited to checking the existence of an arbitration agreement, without conducting a detailed trial.

The Court ruled that BCL failed to show any intention or privity binding it to the HPCL–AGC contract, setting aside the Bombay High Court order appointing an arbitrator.

[Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. v. BCL Secure Premises Pvt. Ltd.]

The Delhi High Court has begun suo motu proceedings to monitor how the Delhi Government implements policies on remission and premature release of convicts. 

The Court has sought a detailed affidavit on all existing policies, circulars, and procedures governing remission. The matter will be heard in January 2026.

The Bench appointed Senior Advocate Siddharth Agarwal as amicus curiae. This follows the Supreme Court’s criticism of several States for delays in processing eligible convicts’ release.

The matter will now be heard on January 13, 2026.

[Court on its own motion v. State]