The Bombay High Court has taken a strict view of continued non-compliance with its orders and directed issuance of a non-bailable warrant and lookout notice against Mr. Vipin Sharma, Director of Elitecon International Ltd, in a contempt proceeding initiated by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI).
The matter arises out of Contempt Petition filed by the DGGI, Agra Regional Unit, alleging persistent disobedience of court directions by the respondent.
The Bench comprising Justices G.S. Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe observed that the contemnor had been in “continuous breach and non-compliance” of earlier orders passed by the Court.
The Court noted that on the previous hearing dated April 22, 2026, it had refrained from issuing a non-bailable warrant based on an undertaking given by the contemnor’s counsel that Mr. Sharma would remain physically present before the Court on the adjourned date. However, despite such an undertaking, the contemnor failed to appear.
Further aggravating the situation, the Court was informed that Mr. Sharma had also failed to comply with the direction to deposit his passport with the Registrar Judicial, which had been mandated to prevent him from leaving the country. The Bench categorically held that such conduct amounted to an additional and aggravated contempt of court.
Taking serious note of repeated violations, the High Court held that mere indulgence could not be continued in the face of such defiance. Accordingly, it directed issuance of a non-bailable warrant to secure the presence of the contemnor. The Court further ordered that the warrant be executed and Mr. Sharma be produced before it at 3:00 PM on June 10, 2026.
The Court also observed that issuance of a warrant alone may not be sufficient in the facts of the case. In order to effectively trace the contemnor and ensure compliance, it directed that a lookout notice be issued through the concerned authorities. The Bench emphasized that such measures were necessary not only to uphold the authority of the Court but also in the larger interest of the Revenue.
The matter has now been listed for further hearing on June 10, 2026.
Case Details
Case Title: Directorate General of GST Intelligence Versus Vipin Sharma
Case No.: Contempt Petition No.4 Of 2025
Date: 29/04/2026
Counsel For Petitioner: Jitendra B.Mishra
Counsel For Respondent: Dr. Sujay Kantawala
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