Sangita Balkrishna Narangikar v. Balaji Enterprises

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

PURTI PRASAD PARAB ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION PURTI PRASAD PARAB Date: 2025.08.06 13:01:14 +0530 ARBITRATION APPLICATION (L) NO. 16785 OF 2025 Sangita Balkrishna Narangikar ...Applicant

Versus

Balaji Enterprises and Anr.

...Respondents

ALONGWITH ARBITRATION PETITION (L) NO. 16238 OF 2025 Sangita Balkrishna Narangikar

...Petitioner

Versus

Balaji Enterprises and Anr.

...Respondents

Mr. B.K. Barve a/w Mr. Sandeep Barve, Ms. Sonali Patil, Ms. Dhanesha and Mr. Santosh Wagh i/b B.K. Barve & Co. for the Applicant/Petitioner. None for the Respondent.

CORAM

: SOMASEKHAR SUNDARESAN, J.

DATE : JULY 3, 2025 ORDER :

1.

Arbitration Application (L) No. 16785 of 2025 is an Application filed under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 ("the Act") and Arbitration Petition (L) No. 16238 of 2025 is a Petition filed under Section 9 of the Act seeking appointment of an arbitrator in connection with disputes and differences that are said to have arisen between the parties under an Agreement dated October 28, 2016 ("Agreement"). The arbitration agreement is contained in Clause 34 of the Agreement (found at Page No. 94 of the Application). In the interest of brevity, the arbitration agreement is not being extracted here. Suffice it to say that this matter falls within the jurisdiction of this Court.

2.

The seat of arbitration is stated to be Navi Mumbai in view of the property bearing in Navi Mumbai and both the parties are from Navi Mumbai. However, it shall be open to the Arbitral Tribunal to conduct the proceedings at the Tribunal's convenience with Mumbai as the venue or through virtual hearing, without disturbing the seat being regarded as Navi Mumbai or virtually.

3.

Learned Counsel for the Applicant submits that the Petition under Section 9 has not been listed on board today. Learned Counsel for the Applicant submits that the same may be permitted to be converted into an Application under Section 17 of the Act so that the Learned Arbitral Tribunal can deal with the same. Consequently, accepting the Applicant's request the Section 9 Petition is also taken up and disposed of, leaving it to the Learned Arbitral Tribunal appointed hereby, to deal with it. 4.

The scope of review under Section 11 is explicitly set out in Section 11(6A) of the Act. It is now trite law, with particular regard to the Supreme Court's decision rendered by a seven-judge Bench in the Interplay Judgement1 followed by multiple others, including SBI General2 and Patel3 that the Section 11 Court ought not to venture beyond examining the existence of a validly existing arbitration agreement that has been formally executed. Even questions of existential substance is a matter that falls 1 In Re: Interplay Between Arbitration Agreements under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 and Stamp Act, 1899 - (2024) 6 SCC 1 2 SBI General Insurance Co. Ltd. Vs. Krish Spinning - 2024 SCC OnLine SC 1754 3 Ajay Madhusudan Patel Vs. Jyotrindra S. Patel - 2024 SCC OnLine SC 2597

squarely in the domain of the arbitral tribunal, in view of Section 16 of the Act.

5.

Being satisfied that an arbitration agreement is validly in existence, and that arbitration has been duly invoked, it is in the fitness of things to refer the disputes and differences between the parties in connection with the aforesaid Agreement dated October 28, 2016 to arbitration by a Sole Arbitrator.

6.

In these circumstances, no useful purpose would be served by keeping this matter pending any further on the docket of this Court. This Application is finally disposed of in the following terms :- A] Mr. Vishwajeet Kapse, an Advocate of this Court is hereby appointed as the Sole Arbitrator to adjudicate upon the disputes and differences between the parties arising out of and in connection with the Agreement referred to above ; Address : Chamber No.5, Ground Floor, Bombay Mutual Chambers, Ambalal Doshi Marg, Fort, Next to Bombay Stock Exchange, Mumbai - 400 001.

Email : vskapseoffice@gmail.com B] A copy of this Order will be communicated to the Learned Sole Arbitrator by the Advocate for the Applicant within a period of one week from the date on which this order is uploaded on the website of this Court. The Applicant shall provide the contact and communication particulars of the parties to the Arbitral Tribunal along with a copy of this Order;

C] The Learned Sole Arbitrator is requested to forward the statutory Statement of Disclosure under Section 11(8) read with Section 12(1) of the Act to the Advocate for the Applicant so as to enable them to file the same in the Registry of this Court. The Registry of this Court shall retain the said Statement on the file of this Application and a copy of the same shall be furnished by the Advocate for the Applicant to the Respondents;

D] The parties shall appear before the Learned Sole Arbitrator on such date and at such place as indicated, to obtain appropriate directions with regard to conduct of the arbitration including fixing a schedule for pleadings, examination of witnesses, if any, schedule of hearings etc. At such meeting, the parties shall provide a valid and functional email address along with mobile and landline numbers of the respective Advocates of the parties to the Arbitral Tribunal. Communications to such email addresses shall constitute valid service of correspondence in connection with the arbitration; E] All arbitral costs and fees of the Arbitral Tribunal shall be borne by the parties equally in the first instance, and shall be subject to any final Award that may be passed by the Tribunal in relation to costs.

7.

Needless to say, nothing contained in this order is an expression of an opinion on merits of the matter or the relative strength of the parties. All issues on merits are expressly kept open to be agitated before the arbitral tribunal appointed hereby.

8.

All actions required to be taken pursuant to this order shall be taken upon receipt of a downloaded copy as available on this Court's website.

[ SOMASEKHAR SUNDARESAN, J.]