M/S Krishna Enterprises v. Union Of India Through Ministry Of Railways And ANR
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
+ O.M.P.(MISC.)(COMM.) 405/2024 & I.A. 29645/2024 M/S KRISHNA ENTERPRISES ..... Petitioner Through:
Mr. Anupam Dwivedi & Mr. Vikash Kumar Sinha, Advs. (M:9891629964) versus UNION OF INDIA THROUGH MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS AND ANR.
..... Respondents Through:
Mr. Vikrant N Goyal, Adv. for R-1.
(M:9953228888) Mr. Shubham Prasad, Adv. for UOI.
(M:9712533333)
CORAM:
JUSTICE PRATHIBA M. SINGH
O R D E R
% 20.05.2024 1.
This hearing has been done through hybrid mode. 2.
The present petition has been filed by the Petitioner-M/s. Krishna Enterprises under Section 29A of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 seeking extension of the mandate of the ld. Sole Arbitrator. 3.
The Petitioner is a partnership firm providing on-board catering services in Indian Railways. Disputes originated from a 2014 tender awarded to the Petitioner for catering services on a specific train, which later led to a Master License Agreement in 2014, subsequently transferred to the Respondent-IRCTC through a Tripartite Agreement in 2017. Following unresolved disputes, the Petitioner invoked arbitration proceedings in 2017. Despite initial delays, the ld. Sole Arbitrator was appointed in 2018. However, due to various reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic and different administrative issues, the arbitration process faced multiple The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 22/05/2024 at 12:04:18
extensions and delays. The mandate of the ld. Sole Arbitrator expired on 1st December, 2022 leading to the appointment of a new ld. Sole Arbitrator on 5th October, 2023, and records were handed over to the new ld. Sole Arbitrator on 4th January, 2024. The Respondent's evidence could not be concluded before the new mandate expired on 31st March, 2024. Thus, the present petition.
4.
Ld. Counsel for the Petitioner submits that the ld. Sole Arbitrator is now recording the evidence of the Respondent. Ld. Counsel for the Respondent submits that she has no objection to the mandate of the ld. Sole Arbitrator being extended.
5.
The mandate is, accordingly, extended till 31st December, 2024. 6.
The petition is disposed of. All pending applications are disposed of. PRATHIBA M. SINGH, J.
MAY 20, 2024 dj/dn The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 22/05/2024 at 12:04:18