Delhi High Court Grants Ex-Parte Injunction to Tata Against Fraudulent 'TATA PAYMENTS' Website and Telegram Channels

Delhi High Court Restrains Fraudulent Website and Telegram Channels from Using 'TATA' Mark

New Delhi: In a significant move to protect its brand identity from online fraud, the Delhi High Court has granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction in favour of Tata Sons Private Limited, restraining an unknown entity from using the 'TATA' and 'TATA PAYMENTS' trademarks on a fraudulent website and several Telegram channels.

The order was passed by a single-judge bench of Justice Tejas Karia in a suit filed by Tata Sons against "John Doe" (an unidentified defendant), Cloudflare Inc., and Telegram FZ-LLC.

Background of the Case

Tata Sons approached the court after discovering a website, https://www.tatapayment.net/, that was deceptively using its trademarks to offer digital payment services. The plaintiff argued that this was a deliberate attempt to defraud the public by creating a false association with the reputed TATA Group.

The suit highlighted that the operators of the fraudulent website had masked their identity and were also running multiple Telegram accounts and groups, some containing Chinese text, to lure unsuspecting users into a scheme described as 'TATA Payment System for Rent'.

Plaintiff's Arguments

Counsel for Tata Sons submitted that the company, established in 1917, is the registered proprietor of the 'TATA' trademark, with its earliest registration dating back to 1942. The group holds over 1,496 registrations for its 'TATA' formative marks and operates legitimate financial services through its subsidiary, which holds an RBI Payment Aggregator license.

The plaintiff contended that the defendants were engaged in clear acts of trademark infringement and passing off, with the "clear intent to defraud and deceive the public." They argued that the unauthorized use of their well-established marks could lead to substantial confusion and cause irreparable harm to their reputation and goodwill.

The Court's Prima Facie Findings and Injunction

After reviewing the evidence, Justice Karia observed that Tata Sons had successfully established a prima facie case for the grant of an interim injunction. The court noted that the balance of convenience was in the plaintiff's favour and that irreparable injury would be caused if the fraudulent activities were not immediately stopped.

The court issued a comprehensive interim order with the following key directions:

• Restraint on Infringers: Defendant No. 1 (John Doe) and anyone acting on their behalf are restrained from using the 'TATA' or 'TATA PAYMENTS' name or any similar mark for any business, domain name, or social media handle.
• Action Against Website: Defendant No. 2, Cloudfare Inc., was directed to block access to the infringing website https://www.tatapayment.net/ and to provide all available details of its registrant, including name, contact information, payment details, and IP addresses.
• Action Against Telegram Channels: Defendant No. 3, Telegram FZ-LLC, was ordered to block a list of specified infringing accounts, channels, and groups.
• Dynamic Injunction: In a significant relief, the court granted a dynamic injunction, permitting Tata Sons to notify Telegram of any future infringing channels that surface, which Telegram must then block without requiring a fresh court order.
• Disclosure of Details: Telegram was also directed to furnish, in a sealed cover, the KYC details, contact numbers, IP addresses, and payment methods associated with the fraudulent accounts.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for November 24, 2025, after directing the defendants to file their replies.