#Adjudicating Officer

The Kerala High Court has ruled that criminal courts retain the authority to prosecute wrongful withholding of company property under Section 452 of the Companies Act, 2013, rejecting the argument that adjudication is exclusively vested in the Adjudicating Officer post-2020 amendments. This reaffirms the criminal liability of former employees who retain company assets, ensuring that civil disputes do not shield criminal misconduct from prosecution.

Jharkhand High Court directs the State to operationalize the Adjudicating Officer under Section 46 of the IT Act within strict timelines-complaint handling in 30 days, public awareness in 15 days, and SOPs within six months. The court held that statutory rules alone suffice to commence proceedings, rejecting delays in implementation.

Bombay High Court rules that RERA orders attaining finality cannot be challenged based on subsequent Supreme Court judgments, even if the law evolves retrospectively. The decision shields developers and authorities from endless litigation over closed cases, reinforcing the sanctity of final adjudication under the RERA Act.