Bombay High Court rejects Adani plea that duty-free shops are beyond domestic laws
Gautam Adani argued in court that shops in international departure areas are outside the reach of domestic regulations as they sit beyond India's territorial jurisdiction
The Bombay High Court has dismissed a plea from the Adani Group arguing that duty-free shops are exempt from domestic laws, ruling that goods sold in these shops are subject to Indian regulations. The case, seen as a precedent for duty-free sales, centers around the Adani Group's nicotine pouches, which the government claims are illegal and classified as drugs.
Adani, who oversees eight airports in India and has plans to expand duty-free shops, maintains that the shops outside India's territorial jurisdiction are beyond the reach of domestic laws. However, the High Court disagreed, stating that goods in duty-free shops within India's jurisdiction are governed by the country's regulatory regime.
The court has not yet determined whether nicotine pouches are considered drugs, but it allowed Adani to present its case to Indian drug regulators.
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