Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing ... vs R K Singh Rajput & Ors on 29 May, 2026

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Delhi High Court - Orders

Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing ... vs R K Singh Rajput & Ors on 29 May, 2026

Bench: Jyoti Singh

                          $~17
                          *    IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
                          +         CS(COMM) 636/2026
                                    GUJARAT COOPERATIVE MILK MARKETING FEDERATION
                                    LIMITED & ANR.                                  .....Plaintiffs
                                                  Through: Mr. Abhishek Singh, Mr. J. Amal
                                                  Anand, Mr. Elvin Joshy, Ms. Shivani Kalra, Mr.
                                                  K.V. Vibu Prasad and Mr. Akshat Mishra,
                                                  Advocates.

                                                                  versus

                                    R K SINGH RAJPUT & ORS.                  .....Defendants
                                                  Through: Mr. Raunaq Kamath, Advocate for
                                                  D-8.
                                    CORAM:
                                    HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE JYOTI SINGH
                                                  ORDER

% 29.05.2026 I.A. 15632/2026 (for pre-institution mediation)

1. This application is filed on behalf of Plaintiffs under Section 12-A of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015 seeking exemption from Pre-Institution Mediation.

2. Having regard to the facts of the present case wherein urgent relief is prayed for and in light of the judgment of Supreme Court in Yamini Manohar v. T.K.D. Keerthi, (2024) 5 SCC 815, as also Division Bench of this Court in Chandra Kishore Chaurasia v. RA Perfumery Works Private Ltd., 2022 SCC OnLine Del 3529, exemption is granted to Plaintiffs from Pre-Institution Mediation.

3. Application is allowed and disposed of.

I.A. 15634/2026 (u/S 149 CPC)

4. This application is filed on behalf of Plaintiffs seeking extension of CS(COMM) 636/2026 Page 1 of 13 This is a digitally signed order.

5. For the reasons stated in the application, the same is allowed granting two weeks to Plaintiffs to file court fee.

6. Application stands disposed of.

CS(COMM) 636/2026

7. Let plaint be registered as a suit.

8. Issue summons.

9. Mr. Raunaq Kamath, learned counsel accepts summons on behalf of Defendant No. 8.

10. Upon filing of process fee, issue summons to remaining Defendants through all permissible modes, returnable before the learned Joint Registrar on 23.07.2026.

11. Summons shall state that the written statements shall be filed by remaining Defendants within 30 days from the receipt of summons along with affidavits of admission/denial of the documents filed by Plaintiffs.

12. It will be open to Plaintiffs to file replications within 30 days from the date of receipt of written statements along with affidavits of admission/denial of documents filed by the said Defendants.

13. If any of the parties wish to seek inspection of any documents, the same be sought and given the timeline prescribed in Delhi High Court (Original Side) Rules, 2018.

14. Learned Joint Registrar will carry out admission/denial of documents and marking of exhibits.

I.A. 15633/2026 (u/O XXXIX Rules 1 and 2 r/w Section 151 CPC)

15. This application is filed on behalf of Plaintiffs under Order XXXIX Rules 1 and 2 read with Section 151 of CPC for grant of ex parte ad interim injunction.

CS(COMM) 636/2026 Page 2 of 13

This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 01/06/2026 at 21:33:12

16. Issue notice.

17. Mr. Raunaq Kamath, learned counsel accepts notice on behalf of Defendant No. 8. Written submissions be filed before the next date.

18. Issue notice to the remaining Defendants through all permissible modes, returnable before Court on 21.09.2026.

19. Case of Plaintiffs as set out in the plaint is that Plaintiff No.1 is a cooperative society registered under The Gujarat Cooperative Societies Act, 1861 and Plaintiff No.2 is a District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union federated to Plaintiff No.1 and is the sole, lawful and registered proprietor of the well-known trademark 'AMUL' and its variant marks containing the trademark 'AMUL' as their prominent part, with the oldest registration of trade mark 'AMUL' being under trademark No. 185698 (Journal No. 260) in Class 29 in 1958. Plaintiff No.2 being the registered proprietor of AMUL trademarks, has licensed to Plaintiff No.1, vide the Trademark License Agreement dated 15.01.2001, right to use the AMUL trademarks for milk and milk products and other foods and beverages. Accordingly, Plaintiff No.1 has been marketing various products including milk and milk products using the well-known trademark 'AMUL' throughout the country and abroad.

20. It is stated that Plaintiff No.1 was established with an object to carry out activities for the welfare and economic development of dairy farmers by efficiently organizing and marketing milk and milk products and other similar products, veterinary medicines, vaccines and other allied products all over the country and abroad of its members, which includes Plaintiff No.2. Plaintiff No.1 initially had six members and gradually, the strength of the Membership of Plaintiff No.1 has increased, and today, there are twenty-one Member unions of Plaintiff No.1. Plaintiff No.1 is India's largest CS(COMM) 636/2026 Page 3 of 13 This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 01/06/2026 at 21:33:12 cooperative society engaged in marketing of milk and milk products. It is an institution created by milk producers (farmers) to primarily safeguard their interests economically, socially as well as democratically. Plaintiff No.1 eventually contributes to development not only of the farmers but of the entire village community. Plaintiff No.1's daily milk procurement is more than 250 Lakh kgs, produced from more than 18,559 village milk Co- operative societies and 3.6 million milk producers. Plaintiff No.1 is the exclusive marketer of 'AMUL' branded milk and milk products and other food and beverages under the said trade mark which include milk, milk powder, health beverages, ghee, butter, cheese, pizza cheese, ice-cream, paneer, chocolates, traditional Indian sweets, etc.

21. It is stated that Plaintiffs entered the field of milk products in 1948 under the mark AMUL and Plaintiff No.2 holds a number of registrations in the said mark and its variants in different classes. Plaintiffs market several products which includes chocolates and Indian sweets under different variant of AMUL such as AMULYA, AMUL FRESH CREAM, AMULICK, AMULDAN, NUTRAMUL, BALAMUL, VITAMUL, FERAMUL, SOYAMUL, AMUL LITE, AMUL GOLD, AMUL SHAKTI, AMUL TAAZA, AMUL PRO, AMUL KOOL, AMUL CHOCOZOO, AMUL FROSTIK, AMUL FLAAVYO, AMUL FUNDOO, AMUL EXOTICA FRUIT SALSA, AMUL FRUIT & NUT, AMUL MASTI, AMUL SPRAY, AMUL CALCI+, where the dominant part is the mark AMUL. Plaintiff No.2 has registrations in the mark 'AMUL' and its variants in various languages such as Gujarati, Hindi and English. Trademark registrations are as follows:-

CS(COMM) 636/2026 Page 4 of 13

This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 01/06/2026 at 21:33:12 CS(COMM) 636/2026 Page 5 of 13 This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 01/06/2026 at 21:33:12

22. It is stated that Plaintiffs have been using the mark AMUL since 1958 and due to the superior quality and popularity of products under the said mark, products are readily available pan-India from small kirana stores to big supermarkets and are consumed by all age groups and in all strata of the society. Many popular, renowned and widely circulated magazines, newspapers have widely advertised the AMUL marks. Many catchy advertisements have been running on radio and television, both in India and abroad since 1966. Plaintiffs have sponsored several national and international sports events and Plaintiffs have been the official sponsor for Indian Contingent to the XX Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, CS(COMM) 636/2026 Page 6 of 13 This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 01/06/2026 at 21:33:12 Scotland in 2014 and XVII Asian Games held in Incheon, South Korea in 2014 etc. Plaintiffs have expended substantial money in promoting the AMUL products and details of the expenditure incurred are as follows:-

23. It is stated that goodwill and reputation garnered by the Plaintiffs over the years in AMUL mark is reflected from the global turnovers and illustratively details for the last 6 years are as follows:-

24. It is stated that Plaintiff No.1 has been recognized as Asia's largest dairy and ranked 8th amongst the top dairy organizations of the world in terms of milk handled, according to survey conducted in 2020 by CS(COMM) 636/2026 Page 7 of 13 This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 01/06/2026 at 21:33:12 International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN), a leading global dairy knowledge organization. Plaintiff No.1 has been ranked 12 th in a survey of Global Dairy Companies conducted in 2022 by Rabobank, a multinational banking and financial services company. Plaintiffs' brand 'AMUL' has been recognized as the strongest dairy brand in the world in a survey conducted in 2022 by Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy. As per the Brand Finance Food & Drink Report 2025, Plaintiffs have been recognized as the strongest food and dairy brand globally. Plaintiffs' brand 'Amul' strength was evaluated with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 91.0 out of 100, earning it the prestigious AAA+ rating. Amul's performance in familiarity, consideration and recommendation metrics solidified its position as a global leader in the food and dairy sectors. Furthermore, Plaintiffs' brand Amul has been ranked amongst the top 3 "best value"

brands in India according to YouGov survey conducted in 2025 of more than 1.3 lakh urban Indian consumers. Sales turnover of the products under Plaintiffs' trademarks 'AMUL' and other variants have been in excess of Rs.2,000 crores for every year since 1999, which speaks volumes about the vast reputation of the registered, well-known, reputed and prior used trademarks 'AMUL' and other variants.

25. It is stated that cause of action for filing the present suit arose on 07.04.2026 when Defendant No.1 published and circulated a video on his Facebook account which contained defamatory, misleading and commercially disparaging publications which was disseminated by the Defendants across multiple digital and social media platforms. The narrative in the video shows a signboard bearing the name of Plaintiff No.1 Federation simultaneously making an assertion that the premises shown therein constitute a 'factory' or 'facility' where cartons/packages are stored and CS(COMM) 636/2026 Page 8 of 13 This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 01/06/2026 at 21:33:12 contain 'cow meat', handled, distributed and/or sold by the Plaintiffs. The narrative is carefully structured and edited in a manner so as to repeatedly juxtapose the name/signboard of Plaintiff No.1 with visuals of the products containing meat. The cartons are shown to bear labels stating 'fresh frozen buffalo meat' as also displaying a brand name 'Al-Jaza'. Clearly, the Defendants intend to disparage the Plaintiffs and sensationalize the contents and provoke public outrage against the Plaintiffs and their well-known AMUL brand. Impugned narrative and publications further proceed to openly incite and call upon members of the public and consumers to disregard, boycott and discontinue purchasing products under the mark AMUL, portraying that Plaintiffs and their products are untrustworthy, unethical and religiously offensive. The tenor, language, narration and presentation in the impugned video is clearly calculated to provoke public outrage, create distrust and hostility against the Plaintiffs. It is asserted that if these videos are permitted to remain in the public domain not only will it disparage the Plaintiffs but also the well-known mark AMUL and damage Plaintiffs' business and reputation both.

26. Learned counsel for the Plaintiff submits that the impugned publications are highly disparaging and are maligning the goodwill and reputation of the Plaintiffs and diluting the well-known mark AMUL which has been used for milk and milk products since 1958. It is urged that the publications are freely accessible and viewed worldwide owing to social media platforms which have unrestricted and instant global reach. Given the false, sensational, provocative and inflammatory nature of the content, there is every likelihood that some persons in the public may believe the narrative on its face value and further disseminate and amplify the misinformation, without verification. The continued accessibility and circulation of the CS(COMM) 636/2026 Page 9 of 13 This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 01/06/2026 at 21:33:12 impugned publications poses an imminent and continuing threat and damage to the goodwill, reputation and commercial interests of the Plaintiffs. Once a reputation is lost, no amount of monetary compensation can retrieve the damage. Drawing the attention of the Court to the visuals and written content of the impugned publications and the screenshots placed on record, it is urged that directions need to be passed for taking down the impugned publications forthwith as the damage is continuing to harm the Plaintiffs and the brand AMUL, every minute.

27. I have heard learned counsel for the Plaintiffs and also perused the impugned publications and posts on social media platforms Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and X. The narrative and the posts are prima facie disparaging and demonstrate a deliberate attempt to sensitize public sentiments relating to cow meat in India and illustratively, one such narrative in the caption is "Amul Doodh ki aad mein Gau Mans Supply". The impugned publications have been and are being disseminating on various social media posts and is rightly urged by the counsel for the Plaintiffs has far and wide and global reach. The content of the impugned publications is causing harm to the formidable goodwill and reputation of the Plaintiffs for their products sold under the well-known mark AMUL since 1958. For the sake of anonymity, contents and texts of the impugned publications/videos and the screenshots placed on record are not being extracted and included as a part of this order.

28. I am of the view that Plaintiffs have made out a prima facie case for grant of ex parte ad interim injunction. Balance of convenience lies in favour of Plaintiffs and they are likely to suffer irreparable harm in case the interim injunction, as prayed for, is not granted.

CS(COMM) 636/2026 Page 10 of 13

This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 01/06/2026 at 21:33:12

29. Accordingly, Defendants No. 1 to 5 and all others acting on their behalf are restrained from uploading videos and/or any other form of publication containing any content which is disparaging to the Plaintiffs and/or the well-known mark AMUL. Defendants No.1 to 5 shall take down the URLs mentioned in Annexure-A to this order, within 36 hours from the date of receipt of copy of this order. Defendants No.1 to 5 shall not re- upload identical publications/videos/social media posts etc. until further orders of the Court in this behalf.

30. In case Defendants No.1 to 5 do not take down the URLs in Annexure-A within 36 hours from the date of receipt of copy of this order, intimation to this effect will be given by the Plaintiffs to the concerned intermediaries hosting the impugned content and necessary action will be taken by the respective intermediaries to take down within 36 hours from the date of receipt of information from the Plaintiffs.

31. Defendant No.7 shall disclose BSI details including name, complete address and other particulars of the following Defendants within four weeks from today to the Plaintiffs:-

a. Defendant No.1 having its profile at URL:

https://www.facebook.com/rajendra.singh.khinchi.933625/reels/ b. Defendant No. 3 having its profile at URL:

https://www.instagram.com/vikashsharma8699/reels/ c. Defendant No. 4 having its profile at URL:

https://www.instagram.com/sanatan_ka_suryoday/reels/

32. Defendant No.6 shall disclose BSI details of Defendant No.5 including name, complete address and other particulars of its profile at URL https://x.com/Bharatvasi6 within four weeks from today to the Plaintiffs.

Defendant No.8 shall disclose BSI details of Defendant No.2 including name, complete address and other particulars of its profile at URL CS(COMM) 636/2026 Page 11 of 13 This is a digitally signed order.

33. Plaintiffs shall comply with the provisions of Order XXXIX Rule 3 CPC within a period of two weeks from today.

JYOTI SINGH, J MAY 29, 2026/RW CS(COMM) 636/2026 Page 12 of 13 This is a digitally signed order.

1. Defendant https://www.facebook.com/reel/1810179326625323 Facebook -

                           No. 1                                                              Defendant
                                                                                              No. 7
                  2.       Defendant           https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-ToTMDtHN7g     YouTube -
                           No. 2                                                              Defendant
                                                                                              No. 8
                  3.       Defendant           https://www.instagram.com/reels/DX4JYsvy3xh/   Instagram -
                           No. 3                                                              Defendant
                                                                                              No. 7
                  4.       Defendant           https://www.instagram.com/reels/DW2tAKdAvl7/   Instagram -
                           No. 4                                                              Defendant
                                                                                              No. 7
                  5.       Defendant           https://x.com/i/status/2057416202495111422     X-
                           No. 5                                                              Defendant
                                                                                              No. 6




                          CS(COMM) 636/2026                                                                                       Page 13 of 13
This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 01/06/2026 at 21:33:12

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Delhi High Court - Orders