M/S NKG INFRASTRUCTURE LTD. vs AIRPORT AUTHORITY OF INDIA (AAI) THROUGH DJM/JT. GM ENGG. (C) JABALPUR AIRPORT

Judgment text excerpt

$~43 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Date of Decision: 28th April, 2026 + O.M.P.(I) (COMM.) 185/2026 & I.A. Nos. 11833/2026, 11834/2026 & 11835/2026 M/S NKG INFRASTRUCTURE LTD. .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Ankit Gupta with Ms. Manaswee and Mr. Shaurya A. Singh, Advocates. (M): 9560186529 Email: [email protected] versus AIRPORT AUTHORITY OF INDIA (AAI) THROUGH DJM/JT. GM ENGG. (C) JABALPUR AIRPORT .....Respondent Through: Mr. Digvijay Rai, Standing Counsel with Mr. Archit Mishra, Advocates with Mr. Vinod Kumar Singh, JGM (Engg-Civil), Mr. Gagan Kochar, Sr. Manager (Law) AAI, Ms. Pragya Bansal JE (Law) AAI, Ms. Kashish Singhal JE (Law) AAI and Mr. Shashank Gupta JE (Law) AAI for respondent AAI. (M): 9873103599, 9412636726 [email protected] CORAM: HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE MINI PUSHKARNA MINI PUSHKARNA, J (ORAL): I.A. Nos. 11833/2026 & 11834/2026 (For Exemptions) 1. Exemptions allowed, subject to all just exceptions. Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed O.M.P.(I) (COMM.) 185/2026 Page 1 of 10 By:HARIOM SHARMA Signing Date:29.04.2026 20:59:28 2. Applications are accordingly disposed of. O.M.P.(I) (COMM.) 185/2026 & I.A. No. 11835/2026 3. The present petition has been filed under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (“Arbitration Act”) assailing the letters dated 24th April, 2026, issued by the respondent to various banks for encashment of bank guarantees aggregating to Rs. 3,17,00,000/-. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the said invocation/encashment is wholly arbitrary, illegal and unsustainable, particularly when the disputes between the parties are pending adjudication before the Dispute Resolution Committee (“DRC”), constituted under Clause 25 of the Agreement dated 04th June, 2019, entered into b