Bombay HC refuses interim relief to Old Monk maker as state law officer considers revised labels

The Bombay High Court has adjourned the hearing on a plea by Mohan Rocky Springwater Breweries Pvt Ltd after Additional Solicitor General of India Anil Singh sought time to obtain instructions on three modified product labels submitted by the Old Monk manufacturer.

Appearing for the respondents, including the central government, the Regional Director, the Chief Executive Officer and the Joint Director, KU Methekar, of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Western Region, the Additional Solicitor General requested time to consider the proposal.

The petitioner company, through Senior Advocate Navroz Seervai, submitted the three modified labels "without prejudice" to explore a potential resolution to the dispute. Seervai clarified that the company is willing to modify its labels if the respondents accept them, but will withdraw them if opposed.


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Following the ASG's request for instructions, the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge and Justice Gautam A. Ankhad listed the matter for further hearing on September 8, 2026, in the 'Urgent Supplementary Board'.

The order came as the High Court declined to grant interim relief to the Old Monk maker.

The petitioner had sought a stay of the FSSAI order and permission to sell its manufactured rum while its challenge to the regulatory body remains pending. The court observed that granting such an interim order at this stage would amount to granting final relief, particularly while both parties are already advancing detailed arguments for final disposal.

The genesis of the dispute lies in the FSSAI order that halted the sale of Old Monk in Maharashtra following an inspection of the company's manufacturing plant in Khopoli, Raigad district. The food safety regulator prohibited sales on the grounds that external rum flavouring was being used without explicitly labelling the product as flavoured rum.

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In this case, along with senior advocate Navroz Seervai, Ranbir Singh and Abhay Jadeja of Jadejas & Partners are representing Mohan Rocky Springwater Breweries. The central government and FSSAI, along with senior officials, are being represented by Additional Solicitor General of India Anil Singh, senior advocate Rajshekhar Govilkar and counsels Vikram Walwalkar and Pratik Sabrad.