HARIRAM & ORS. vs NATIONAL HIGHWAY AUTHORITY OF INDIA & ORS.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Reserved on : 03.03.2025 Pronounced on : 04.04.2025 + O.M.P. (COMM) 86/2021 HARIRAM & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Pardeep Gupta, Mr. Parinav Gupta and Mr. Harshvardhan Lodhi, Advocates. versus NATIONAL HIGHWAY AUTHORITY OF INDIA & ORS. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Akshay Kumar Tiwari and Ms. Shubhi Dhiman, Advocates for R-1 & R-2. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MANOJ KUMAR OHRI JUDGMENT 1. By way of present petition filed under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (hereafter, „the A&C Act‟), the petitioners seek to challenge the Award dated 16.10.2020, passed by the District Collector, Division Meerut, District Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. 2. At the outset, the respondents have taken a preliminary objection that this Court does not have jurisdiction to entertain the present petition filed under Section 34 of the A&C Act. The respondents have urged that before the petition is entertained on merits, the issue of territorial jurisdiction of this Court be decided first. In view of this preliminary objection raised by the respondents, the Court has heard the learned counsel for the parties at length 3. Learned counsel for the