Kolhapur/Mumbai, July 20 -- The mood in room number 46 of the Bombay High Court, a vaulted, brightly lit affair, was rather dark on 16 July. Chief justice Alok Aradhe and justice Sandeep Marne, who made up a two-judge bench of the court, were handling public interest litigation (PIL) filings that morning. And their patience seemed to be wearing thin. After summarily dealing with two PILs, they turned to a third one.

"What is this? Kolhapuri chappals? You want an injunction in a PIL?" asked one of the judges, grilling advocate Ganesh Hingmire, who had filed the petition.

The case had been filed after Italian luxury fashion house Prada had showcased a pair of "toe-ring" sandals on a Milanese runway in its Men's Spring/Summer 2026 collecti...