Reliance Infrastructure arm Delhi Airport Metro Express (DAMEPL) on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking “immediate payment” of balance arbitration award amount Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) owes to the firm, as directed by the Delhi High Court.
The Anil Ambani firm told the SC that the Delhi High Court, instead of directing the DMRC to make immediate payment of the decretal amount to DAMEPL under the award rendered in 2017, has erred in extending the time for making payment from May 31 to August 5.The HC order came on a petition by DAMEPL seeking enforcement of the arbitration award that it had won in May 2017 against DMRC. Even the Supreme Court had on September 9 last year upheld the Rs 4,600-crore arbitration award in favour of Anil Ambani group firm.
Challenging the limited portion of the HC order, RInfra firm said the whole purpose of arbitration is defeated as DMRC “is failing and neglecting to make the payment”.“This extension not only frustrates the objective of Arbitration Act, but also is causing grave irreparable prejudice to the petitioner (DAMEPL) inasmuch as the latter is required to repay the loan amount to the nationalised banks and FIs which is getting delayed,” the appeal stated, adding that the executing court is required to expeditiously execute decrees to recover payment and if necessary, attach assets, etc