High Courts
LiveLawBiz Arbitration Half Yearly Digest: January - June, 2026
Supreme CourtAppellate Courts Cannot Disturb Arbitral Awards Merely To Permit A Different View, Supreme Court Reiterates Case Title : Jan De Nul Dredging India Pvt. Ltd. v. Tuticorin Port Trust Case Number : Civil Appeal No. 98 of 2026 Citation: 2026 LLBiz SC 15 The Supreme Court, recently, set aside a Madras High Court order that had deleted compensation awarded to a dredging contractor and reiterated that appellate courts cannot interfere with arbitral awards...
Bombay High Court Says Proof Of Dishonest Asset Transfer Not Needed To Secure Assets Pending Arbitration
The Bombay High Court has held that a party seeking interim protection before arbitration need not prove that the opposite side has dishonestly transferred or concealed its assets. A strong possibility that the assets may diminish before an arbitral award is enforced is sufficient to justify protection. Justice Amit Borkar observed, "The expression 'a strong possibility of diminution of assets would suffice' does not mean that the applicant must prove that the respondent has dishonestly...
Delhi High Court Enforces $454 Million Foreign Arbitral Awards In Favour Of Vedanta, Ravva Oil
The Delhi High Court has enforced two foreign arbitral awards in favour of Vedanta Limited and Ravva Oil (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. in a long-running dispute over the sharing of profit petroleum from the Ravva Oil Field in Andhra Pradesh. It ruled that the Union government's objections amounted to an impermissible attempt to reopen the merits of the awards. Justice Jasmeet Singh delivered the judgment. He held that the dispute arose from the interpretation of the parties' Production Sharing Contract...
Delhi High Court Says No 'Straight Jacket Formula' For Limitation In Enforcing Foreign Arbitral Awards
The Delhi High Court has allowed enforcement of a €9.71 million International Chamber of Commerce arbitral award in favour of Spain-based travel technology company Amadeus IT Group S.A. against Ebix Cash Limited. The court rejected Ebix Cash's objections that the underlying transaction violated Indian public policy and held the foreign award enforceable in India. Justice Jasmeet Singh also rejected Ebix Cash's contention that the enforcement petition was filed beyond the limitation period....
BSNL Cannot Impose Price Reduction While Extending Delivery Time Under Supply Contracts: Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday upheld two arbitral awards directing Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) to refund nearly ₹19.31 lakh and ₹44.95 lakh deducted from telecom equipment contractor BWL Ltd. towards price reduction. The court held that the original contracts did not permit BSNL to unilaterally impose a price reduction while granting extensions of time.Justice Jasmeet Singh observed that novation of a contract requires mutual agreement and consensus ad idem between the parties. Holding...
LiveLawBiz Arbitration Cases Monthly Digest: June 2026
Supreme CourtLimitation To Challenge Arbitral Award Begins Only After Tribunal Disposes Of Post-Award Pleas: Supreme CourtCase Title: National Highways Authority of India vs T Younis & Anr.Case Number: SLP (C) NO. 7570 OF 2024Citation: 2026 LLBiz SC 216The Supreme Court on Tuesday held that when parties invoke post-award proceedings before an arbitral tribunal seeking correction, interpretation, or an additional award, the limitation period for challenging the arbitral...
Limitation Began On Refusal To Perform: Karnataka HC Upholds Arbitral Award In Housing Society's Favour
The Karnataka High Court has upheld an arbitral award directing a landowner to execute sale deeds for the remaining sites under a development agreement. It held that the society's claim was not barred by limitation because the agreement did not prescribe a fixed date for execution of the remaining sale deeds, and limitation began only when performance was refused. A division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha dismissed an appeal by landowner A.R. Abdul Razak...
Expeditious Arbitration Alone Does Not Establish Arbitral Award Was Procured By Fraud: Calcutta High Court
The Calcutta High Court recently held that the mere expeditious conclusion of arbitral proceedings, by itself, does not establish fraud vitiating an award. Fraud must be demonstrated through cogent attending circumstances and cannot be inferred from speed alone. The bench of Justices Debangsu Basak and Shabbar Rashidi set aside an order passed by the executing court in an award arising from a sale dispute, holding that no case of fraud had been made out. The court held, “Simplicitor on the...
Mere Exchange Of Letters Cannot Extend Limitation For Plea For Appointment Of Arbitrator: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday held that mere exchange of letters or representations between parties cannot extend the limitation period for filing an application seeking appointment of an arbitrator under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. Justice S. Manu observed that once limitation begins to run, recurrent communications between parties cannot stop or stretch the statutory period. “If a party waits indefinitely, without seeking reference by approaching the Court...
Interim Order Directing Release Of Award Amount Not Appealable Under S. 37, Arbitration Act: Gauhati High Court
The Gauhati High Court recently observed that an order directing the release of a deposited award amount during the pendency of a Section 34 challenge cannot be appealed under Section 37 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The bench of Justice Robin Phukan held an appeal filed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) against an interim order directing the release of the award amount to a landowner to be non-maintainable. The court held, “The upshot of aforesaid discussion...
Pending Criminal Proceedings Even In Life Imprisonment Cases Don't Bar Arbitration: Bombay High Court
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday held that criminal proceedings or allegations of serious offences, even those punishable with life imprisonment, do not by themselves make a dispute unsuitable for arbitration. Before declining to hear such a dispute, an arbitral tribunal must explain how the allegations amount to "serious fraud" with wider public implication Justice Gauri Godse allowed Capalpha Trade Pvt Ltd's appeal and set aside an arbitral tribunal's August 3, 2023 order. The tribunal had...
Bombay High Court Upholds Award Rejecting LPG Distributor's ₹40 Crore Claim Against Reliance Petro
The Bombay High Court has recently upheld an arbitral award rejecting most of an LPG distributor's nearly ₹40 crore damages claim against Reliance Petro Marketing Ltd. It held that the arbitrator's interpretation of the distribution agreements and the evidence on record warranted no interference. Justice Kamal Khata held that the award dated March 25, 2021 was neither vitiated by patent illegality nor contrary to the fundamental policy of Indian law. "Accordingly, this Court is of the...