The Delhi High Court has put on hold an order issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs that imposed penalties on Satya Nadella, Ryan Roslansky, LinkedIn India and a group of present and former company directors over alleged lapses linked to “significant beneficial ownership” disclosures.
Justice Anish Dayal ordered that the MCA’s decision would remain suspended until the matter comes up again on October 6, 2026.
The courtroom battle stems from proceedings launched by the Registrar of Companies, which accused Nadella and other officials of failing to properly declare themselves as significant beneficial owners in LinkedIn India under Section 90 of the Companies Act. Those findings were later upheld by the MCA’s Regional Director, triggering the penalties.
Challenging the order before the High Court, the petitioners argued that all necessary disclosures had already been submitted on January 29, 2024. They further contended that the RoC stretched the interpretation of Sections 89 and 90 beyond their intended scope.
A major point of dispute revolved around disclosures made before the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Counsel for the petitioners argued that filings under American securities regulations cannot automatically be treated as disclosures under India’s SBO framework, describing the two legal regimes as fundamentally distinct.
The petitioners were represented by senior advocate Gopal Subramanium along with lawyers from Luthra and Luthra Law Offices India. The Union government and the MCA were represented by a separate legal team opposing the plea.
