Latest news with #SachinDatta
India Today
3 days ago
- Health
- India Today
Animal testing lab stopped from procuring more animals by Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court has taken strong interim action against Palamur Biosciences Pvt. Ltd., following grave allegations of animal cruelty raised in a petition filed by PETA India. In an order dated July 2025, Justice Sachin Datta directed the Committee for the Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA) to implement remedial measures and barred the facility from procuring or housing any new court's order follows an inspection report submitted to the CCSEA on 17 June 2025, which detailed extensive violations related to the care, housing, and euthanasia of animals at the company's Telangana facility. The report, prepared by a government-appointed committee, called for urgent review of Palamur Biosciences' registration and the immediate rehabilitation of the 1,200+ animals housed INSPECTION FINDINGS:The inspection, triggered by a whistleblower-led expos released by PETA India in June, found appalling conditions inside the laboratory. Highlights from the report include: Over 1,232 animals housed, exceeding CCSEA-approved pigs, monkeys, cows, and other animals held in overcrowded and unhygienic reused in multiple painful experiments without proper recovery of basic medical care, inadequate veterinary staffing, and no night-time housed on hard floors, often in their own filth, without exercise or kept in narrow metal cages, cows in poor condition standing in wet record-keeping, quarantine protocols, or emergency medicines handling of animals, absence of sedatives before euthanasia, and visible signs of inspectors noted these failings were not isolated, but systemic, indicative of serious ethical and regulatory ORDERS AND LEGAL MILESTONESDuring the hearing, PETA India's legal counsel Mr Rajshekhar Rao argued that no corrective action had been taken despite the damning findings. The High Court acknowledged the urgency, noting, 'urgent interim directions are necessitated to ameliorate the conditions of animals.'The court ordered:A halt to the procurement or housing of new animals by Palamur interim remedial steps by CCSEA.A fresh inspection within a week, in the presence of PETA India and CCSEA representatives.A status report to be filed by CCSEA within two hearing scheduled for 4 August follows a landmark FIR registered on 16 June 2025 by Boothpur Police Station, Mahabubnagar, under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code marking the first-ever police case filed against an animal experimentation lab in INDIA SEEKS PERMANENT CLOSUREPETA India's petition also seeks the full revocation of all licenses held by Palamur Biosciences and the permanent closure of the investigation included video footage of dogs suffering bloody injuries, wild-caught monkeys held for experiments, and animals denied basic Anjana Aggarwal, Scientist and Research Policy Advisor at PETA India, stated, 'We are grateful to the Hon'ble High Court for making clear that nobody can be above the law. Instead of acting on whistleblowers' reports or its own inspectors' findings, CCSEA has attempted to deflect by defaming PETA India. We now seek a complete shutdown of Palamur Biosciences.'- Ends
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Why Delhi HC dismissed Turkish firm Celebi's challenge to security clearance revocation
The Delhi High Court on Monday (July 7) dismissed Turkey-based firm Celebi's challenge to the revocation of security clearance of its Indian subsidiary, which provided airport ground handling in the country, by the Centre. The company had approached the HC after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety (BCAS) revoked Celebi Airport Services India's security clearance on May 15, amid growing tensions between India and Turkey over the latter's stance on Pakistan following Operation Sindoor. The Indian government said that the revocation was 'in the interest of national security'. What was the case? Celebi moved the HC arguing that it was not provided an opportunity for hearing by the Centre before the revocation of the company's security clearance. It cited the Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023, stating that the rules made it mandatory for the government to provide the company with an opportunity for a hearing. The Centre, however, told the court that given the decision was in the interest of national security, authorities did not need to be in full compliance with the principles of natural justice. What did the court say? The HC's Justice Sachin Datta, who heard the case, dismissed Celebi's challenge, saying that there were 'compelling national security considerations involved', which 'impelled' the Centre to revoke the clearance, with 'impelling geo-political considerations' at play. While Justice Datta acknowledged that Celebi was not given the opportunity for hearing before the revocation of its security clearance, he relied on domestic and foreign jurisprudence to conclude that 'the principles of natural justice must yield to preservation of natural security'. What does the ruling mean for Celebi in India? The Delhi HC's decision has a direct bearing on legal challenges Celebi has instituted before various HCs in the country, including Madras, Bombay, and Gujarat HCs. The company in these HCs has challenged the cancellation of its contracts by various airports. The cancellations were made following the Centre's decision to revoke the company's security clearance. In India, Celebi was providing ground handling services at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, Kerala's Cochin International Airport, Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport, Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Goa's Manohar International Airport, and Ahmedabad airport.
Mint
6 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Delhi HC directs competition regulator to review green channel nod for INSCO in HNGIL buyout
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday gave the anti-Trust regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) 10 days to decide on packaging manufacturer AGI Greenpac's plea challenging its fast-track 'green channel' approval to Independent Sugar Corp. (INSCO), the Indian arm of Uganda's Madhvani Group, for acquiring Hindustan National Glass and Industries Ltd (HNGIL). Justice Sachin Datta's bench granted relief to AGI Greenpac, whose ₹ 2,752 crore approved plan was earlier quashed by the Supreme Court due to procedural lapses. AGI Greenpac approached the high court after the CCI allegedly did not consider its representation challenging INSCO's approval. On 4 June, Greenpac wrote to CCI urging it to withdraw the green channel clearance. Under this route, mergers and acquisitions with no competition concerns receive automatic approval without a detailed review. Greenpac contended that the approval breached Regulation 5A, which mandates joint filing by all parties seeking green channel clearance, whereas INSCO had filed on its own. It claimed this violation could negatively impact HNGIL and its creditors. HNGIL, India's largest container glass manufacturer, entered insolvency in October 2021under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) after defaulting on loans exceeding ₹ 2,000 crore. The insolvency proceedings began in 2018 when HSBC Daisy Investments (Mauritius) Ltd filed a petition against HNGIL over unpaid dues exceeding ₹ 2,500 crore, leading NCLT Kolkata to admit the case and initiate bankruptcy proceedings. During the resolution process, AGI Greenpac and INSCO emerged as key contenders. AGI Greenpac's ₹ 2,752 crore plan was initially approved by NCLT and later by NCLAT in September 2023. However, INSCO challenged this before the Supreme Court. On 29 January, the Supreme Court quashed AGI Greenpac's resolution plan for failing to meet regulatory requirements. It also reversed NCLAT's order upholding AGI's plan and directed the CoC to reconsider resolution proposals to ensure full compliance with competition law. The Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for INSCO to make fresh attempts to acquire HNGIL. INSCO told the court it would match AGI's cash offer to financial creditors, increasing its total payout to ₹ 2,752 crore from the original ₹ 2,395 crore offer, thus enhancing creditor recovery to 58% from 49%. The HNGIL case has become another example of an approved resolution plan being set aside by the courts on procedural grounds, causing delays and bottlenecks in India's insolvency landscape. Recently, the Supreme Court also set aside the approved ₹ 19,000 crore JSW Steel resolution plan for Bhushan Power and Steel on the grounds of illegality in the plan, underscoring systemic hurdles. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha in December 2024, finance and corporate affairs minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed that insolvency-related matters account for the lion's share of NCLT's backlog. As of 31 December 2024, there were 12,351 pending insolvency cases out of a total pendency of 20,484 cases at NCLT. The remaining 8,133 cases were related to the Companies Act, 2013.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Delhi HC seeks government's reply on AAP's plea over rent for party office
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the Centre's response on a plea filed by AAP against the rent demand for its party office in Vithalbhai Patel House in the capital. Justice Sachin Datta issued notice to the Centre on AAP's plea filed in a case in which the party challenges the cancellation of the allotment of the suite for its office. The high court asked the authorities to file its reply within two weeks and posted the matter on July 22. After AAP's counsel urged the court to stay the June 20 reminder notice demanding the rent, the Centre's lawyer said 'nothing' would happen till the next hearing. The Centre's counsel said there was no urgency in the matter as it was only a notice and they would be proceeding in line with the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act. AAP has claimed the decision of the Directorate of Estates, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, was ex parte and passed without any showcause notice or a reasonable opportunity to be heard. Its counsel argued the Directorate of Estates allegedly cancelled the allotment of a double suite in Vithalbhai Patel House with effect from September 14, 2024, without any information and belatedly conveyed the same to the petitioner for the first time in a letter dated January 17. The petitioner handed over the possession of the premises on April 30, the counsel added. In a fresh plea, AAP said the Directorate of Estates on June 20 re-issued the bills in the form of a reminder through which the authorities have re-affirmed the arbitrary eviction of the petitioner from its state party office via the ex-parte cancellation order of September 14, 2024.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Delhi HC upholds revocation of Celebi's security clearance amidst geopolitical tensions
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a plea by Turkish ground-handling firm Celebi Airport Services India challenging the Centre's revocation of its security clearance. Justice Sachin Datta upheld the government's decision, citing national security concerns triggered by heightened geopolitical tensions following a military standoff between India and Pakistan and Turkey's support to Islamabad. The Ministry of Civil Aviation, through BCAS, withdrew Celebi's clearance on May 15, leading to the termination of its contracts at key airports, including Delhi and Mumbai. Celebi's counsel, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, argued the firm was denied a fair hearing and not given reasons for the move, violating Rule 12 of the Aircraft Rules, 2023. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, said the decision was based on classified inputs. Related proceedings are pending in the Bombay HC.
