UNION OF INDIA vs M/S VARINDERA CONSTRUCTIONS LTD

Judgment text excerpt

$~ * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Judgment reserved on: 13.02.2026 Judgment pronounced on: 01.04.2026 + O.M.P. (COMM) 73/2024 & I.A. 43484/2024 (Seeking withdrawal of amount deposited by petitioner) UNION OF INDIA .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Vikas Kumar Sharma, Senior Central Government Counsel. versus M/S VARINDERA CONSTRUCTIONS LTD. .....Respondent Through: Ms. Risha Mittal and Mr. Md. Adil Alam, Advocates. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HARISH VAIDYANATHAN SHANKAR JUDGMENT HARISH VAIDYANATHAN SHANKAR, J. 1. The present Petition under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 1 has been filed impugning the Arbitral Award dated 27.08.2023 along with the corrigendum dated 20.10.20232, passed by the learned Sole Arbitrator in disputes arising out of Contract dated 03.11.2014 executed between the parties for the construction of dwelling units under the Married Accommodation Project at Jodhpur. 1 A&C Act 2 Arbitral Award Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed By:NEERU O.M.P. (COMM) 73/2024 Page 1 of 48 Signing Date:04.04.2026 12:18:42 2. By way of the present proceeding, the Petitioner seeks to assail the Impugned Arbitral Award, principally on the ground that the mandate of the learned Arbitrator had expired under Section 29A of the A&C Act, prior to the pronouncement of the Award, and that the grant of interest by the learned Arbitral Tribunal is legally unsustainable. BRIEF FACTS: 3. Shorn of unnecessary details, the facts germane to the institution of the present Appeal are as follows: I. Briefly stated, the disputes between the parties arise out of a works contract awarded by Union of India3 to the Respondent for the construction of dwelling units for Officers, JCOs and ORs under the Married Accommodation Project at Jodhpur. II. The contract