High-Stakes Legal Battle: DMRC vs. DAMEPL

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to DAMEPL, a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure, over a contempt plea by DMRC concerning a refund of over Rs 4,500 crore. The court is examining a past arbitral award and its implications, with a hearing scheduled for January 2025.

The Supreme Court recently issued a notice to Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd (DAMEPL), a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure, regarding a contempt plea filed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). This plea pertains to the alleged failure of DAMEPL to refund over Rs 4,500 crore along with interest to DMRC.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and Ujjal Bhutan took cognizance of DMRC's plea, seeking a response from DAMEPL on why contempt proceedings should not be initiated for non-payment. The hearing is set for January 20, 2025.

The legal tussle originates from a 2017 arbitral award favoring DAMEPL, which demanded a payment of approximately Rs 8,000 crore from DMRC. The Supreme Court's previous interventions have raised complex legal questions, with its recent notice highlighting the ongoing intricacies in this high-stakes legal drama.

(With inputs from agencies.)