The Lazy Dog pub owners face contempt charge

A contempt petition has been filed in the Bombay high court against Gastro Pub Private Limited and its owners Bhavna and Sheetal Talwar for misusing the trademark ‘The Lazy Dog’, which, it has been claimed, is registered in the name of one Gopal Kaushik. In April, Kaushik had got an HC order restraining Gastro Pub Pvt Ltd from using his trademark.

The contempt petition has been filed through advocate Rani Boazz. It states that the respondents committed breach of an undertaking given by them to the high court while hearing of the suit filed by Kaushik and, thus, they committed contempt of court.

On April 17, Kaushik had filed a suit in the high court seeking an injunction against the respondents from infringing on his trademark. On April 22, the suit was decided in favour of Kaushik after the company gave an undertaking that it would refrain from using the trademark. It was further undertaken that the menu cards, banners, hoardings, cartons etc, which are used by the company for promotion, would be destroyed by them on or before June 1.

However, Kaushik is recently said to have learnt that the company was continuing to use the trademark, promoting/advertising its services under it. The petition cited several online and newspaper advertisements to prove his case, that the company had committed a breach of the undertaking it gave before the court.

The petition has prayed for directions to attach the company’s properties housed in premises at Fort, IndiaBulls Finance Centre in Parel and Taj Wellington Mews in Colaba. It has also sought the respondents’ detention for a period “deemed fit and proper by the high court”.