#successor liability

Bombay High Court rules that a successor company cannot be presumed to have knowledge of pending industrial dispute proceedings unless formally notified. The ruling emphasizes substantive fairness over procedural lapses, protecting successor entities from unintended liabilities under the Industrial Disputes Act.

NGT Southern Zone rules that successor companies inherit environmental liability only if expressly assumed via contract or prior notice. The judgment shields new owners from penalties for pre-takeover violations, reinforcing the 'polluter pays' principle while balancing corporate transitions. Industrial acquirers and pollution control boards must now document liability transfers explicitly to avoid disputes.

CAT holds that BSNL must regularize casual workers engaged before corporatization, citing Supreme Court precedents on Article 14, in rem judgments, and non-applicability of delay.