Chetan oversees the operations of the entire firm across all verticals and practice areas. He has a specialisation under the energy and infrastructure laws and handles varied aspects of legal, regulatory and policy issues and is regularly consulted on tariff disputes, open access and captive generating plant issues, disputes relating to force majeure and change in law, transmission and distribution related issues, trading, challenging sub-ordinate legislations/ bye-laws and other disputes relating to energy sector, renewable purchase obligation.
He regularly appears before the various State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs), including the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) and the Hon’ble Supreme Court on a wide variety of issues.
Apart from the above, Chetan’s practice area focuses on other areas of civil, criminal and commercial litigation, including arbitrations and original side litigation before the various High Courts and the Hon’ble Supreme Court. He also has a good knowledge of the criminal law jurisprudence and regularly appears before the High Courts across the country for seeking quashing of an FIR or for securing bail for clients. Chetan is regularly consulted on various issues by clients from across the country, especially in the Northeast on grappling legal and constitutional issues involving public policy, finance and he likes to contemplate the impact of legal and regulatory changes on his clients’ business and operations.
In July 2023, Chetan also led arguments before the Constitution Bench of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in an issue pertaining to “changing the rules of the game after the game has been played” in matters of employment under the State in terms of Article 233(2) of the Constitution of India. [SLP(C) 21592 of 2013: Biswajit Prasad v. The Gauhati High Court & (2024) 3 SCC 799: Sivanandan C.T. & Ors. v. High Court of Kerala & Ors. ].
He also regularly appears as an Arguing Counsel before various other Tribunals and Appellate Courts such as the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Debts Recovery Tribunal (DRT), Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) Motor Accidents Claim Tribunals (MACT) and consumer Courts across New Delhi NCR.
Keeping in mind serious challenges faced by clients in undergoing the arduous process of litigation before Courts across the country, in order to assist with the dispensation of justice, Chetan has a vision to build strategic collaborations with professionals across the country, who are willing to aid in becoming a part of delivering justice.
To promote better legal education and to foster independent and rational thinking amongst young individuals in a civil society which believes in the rule of law, Chetan is also called upon by distinguished and esteemed law colleges such as Jindal Global Law School to deliver guest lectures on various subjects of law and to interact with the students.
Chetan believes that as a lawyer, we owe a responsibility and duty towards society inasmuch as in being the harbinger of justice and fighting for a someone’s legal and fundamental right, a lawyer must also attempt to fill the gap between the law and society by understanding the framework of law and the need for development.
Associations
EDUCATION
DIALECT
Chetan has anchored several litigations on a wide range of issues. Some of the key assignments handled and being handled by Chetan amongst others, cover the following: –
• Before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court in W.P.(C) 2961 of 2020 for a group of pharmacists whose services were arbitrarily terminated on 30.03.2020 by the St. Stephens Hospitals, New Delhi during the pandemic and the imposition of nationwide lockdown [2020 SCC Online Del 518].
• Before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court in CS(OS) 121 of 2017 for the Defendant who was supposed to vacate the house during the period of lockdown as per a consent agreement between the parties in the captioned suit [2020 SCC Online Del 531].
• Before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court in W.P.(C) 12606 of 2022 challenging constitutional validity of the Chartered Accountants (CA) Amendment Act and the Company Secretaries (CS) Amendment Act.
• Before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Diary No. 32434 of 2022 for the Wife seeking an ex-parte ad interim stay of a Matrimonial Suit filed by the husband in West Bengal.
• Before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in TP(C) No. 2239-60 of 2023 for the Respondent No. 11/ Authorised Representative of homebuyers in a class under the IB Code, 2016 for opposing the prayer for transfer on the alleged issue raised by IBBI vis-à-vis possibility of divergence of opinion in interpretation of Section 220(1) of the IB Code, 2016.
• Before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in CA No. 20971 of 2017 & Ors., for the Petitioner (i.e., Citrus Welfare Society) in a matter pertaining to siphoning off of 12,000 Crores by a group of companies namely, Citrus Check Inns Limited (CCIL) and Royal Twinkle Star Club Limited (RTSCL).
• Before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court in W.P.(C)15092 of 2022 for an Authorised Representative of a Corporate Debtor in CIRP Process, challenging the decision of IBBI in disallowing the costs incurred by the AR while collating claims of 4500 homebuyers.
• Before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court in W.P.(C) 4580 of 2020 and W.P.(C) 5329 of 2020 on behalf of Footwear Development Design Institute of India for defending the termination of 80 employees.
• Before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court in W.P.(Crl) 1125 of 2012 for the Petitioner seeking setting aside an Order dated 21.07.2012 passed by the SDM under Section 18(1) of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956.
• Before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court in W.P.(C) 5071 of 2021 for the Petitioner being a COVID patient, suffering from low SPO2 levels for securing an ICU bed during the second wave of the pandemic.
• Before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court in W.P.(C) 9243 & 9259 of 2019 for Global Energy Private Limited, challenging the cancellation of the inter-state trading license at the behest of suo-motu proceedings initiated by CERC.
• Before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court in W.P.(C) 3141 of 2020 for Vensar Construction Company, wherein, a specific challenge was made to the conditions of RFP & RFQ issued in a Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process.
• Before the Hon’ble Gauhati High Court in Cr. Pet. 348 of 2020 for the Informant in an FIR against Twitter Communication India Private Limited u/s 121, 153(A) of the IPC read with Section 66(F) of the I.T. Act, read with Section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
• Before the Hon’ble Meghalaya High Court in W.P.(C) No. 15 of 2022 for the Chief Executive Member of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council in challenging a notice issued by the Governor under Rule 36(5) of the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Rules, 1951 to take up no-confidence motion.
• Before the Hon’ble Meghalaya High Court for an IMFL Licensee against the rejection of an application preferred under Section 80(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, passed by the Deputy Commissioner (Judicial), East Garo Hills. Judgment reported in [2021 SCC Online Megh 37].
• Before the Hon’ble Meghalaya High Court for an IMFL Licensee challenging the notice issued under Section 4(2) of the Meghalaya Public Premises (Eviction Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1980, directing the petitioner to vacate the wet canteen inside the campus of the Police Reserve at Williamnagar immediately [2022 SCC Online Megh 225].
• Before the Hon’ble Meghalaya High Court in W.P.(C) 133 of 2024 in challenging the award of tender for supply of 1.5 MRI Tesla Machine issued by the Government of Meghalaya.
• Before the National Company Law Tribunal, New Delhi in CP No. (IB) 616 of 2021 for the Operational Creditor in terms of Section 9 of the IB Code, 2016.
• Before the Debts Recovery Tribunal, Guwahati in SA No. 13 of 2021 for a debtor challenging a faulty auction notice issued by the Punjab National Bank under the provisions of SARFAESI Act, 2002.
• Before the Debts Recovery Appellate Tribunal, New Delhi in Misc. Appeal No. 15/16/17 of 2020 for HCC Concessions Limited challenging the recovery of 600 crores approx. on behalf of a consortium of banks, being led by Axis Bank Limited.
• Before the Ld. District Judge, Patiala House Courts in CS(Comm.) 290 of 2023 for the Defendant, where the Plaintiff seeks a decree of specific performance of a purported agreement to sell a Vehicle.
• Before the Ld. Metropolitan Magistrate, Patiala House Courts in bail application (FIR No. 91 of 2020, PS Special Cell) for the accused charged under Section 420, 468, 471, 201, 120(B) along with Section 34 of the IPC.