Telangana High Court Refers Cinepolis-Sree Thirumala Dispute To Arbitration, Appoints Former Acting CJ

The Telangana High Court has appointed former Acting Chief Justice Justice P. Naveen Rao as an independent arbitrator to adjudicate disputes between Cinepolis India Private Limited and Sree Thirumala Infra Private Limited.

The order was passed by Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh after the parties agreed to the appointment. The court also took on record the statutory disclosure submitted by the proposed arbitrator.

Cinepolis and Sree Thirumala Infra had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on September 23, 2024. The agreement contained an arbitration clause. When disputes arose, Cinepolis invoked arbitration through a notice issued on January 9, 2026.

According to the order, Sree Thirumala Infra did not dispute the existence of the dispute but proposed the appointment of a different arbitrator. Cinepolis thereafter approached the High Court seeking appointment of an independent arbitrator.

Justice Rao subsequently furnished his consent and declaration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, following which the court confirmed his appointment.

The court requested the arbitrator to keep in mind the fee prescribed under Schedule IV of the Act and the time limit prescribed under Section 29A while conducting the proceedings. The arbitration application was accordingly disposed of.

For Applicant (Cinepolis India Private Limited): Advocates Shraddha Gupta and Chirag Sharma.

For Respondent (Sree Thirumala Infra Private Limited): Advocates M.V. Pratap Kumar and Aishwarya Rao.