AIRPORTS AUTHORITY OF INDIA vs M/S RAJDEEP INDUSTRIES

Judgment text excerpt

$~42 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Date of decision: 24.02.2026 + O.M.P. (COMM) 204/2016 AIRPORTS AUTHORITY OF INDIA .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Digvijay Rai, Mr. Archit Mishra, Advocates with Mr. Yatinder Choudhary, Law Officer. versus M/S RAJDEEP INDUSTRIES .....Respondent Through: Mr. Vikas Sharma, Advocate. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HARISH VAIDYANATHAN SHANKAR % JUDGEMENT (ORAL) HARISH VAIDYANATHAN SHANKAR, J. 1. The present Petition, being O.M.P. (COMM) 204/2016, has been filed under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 19961, assailing the findings of the learned Arbitrator in respect of certain limited claims adjudicated under the Arbitral Award dated 26.04.2013, read with the corrigendum dated 28.05.20132. 2. The limited contention advanced by learned counsel for the Petitioner, Airports Authority of India3, in the present petition is that the grant of Claim Nos. 3, 7, 8, 10, 12 and 17 under the Impugned Award is legally unsustainable, as the said claims are ex facie barred 1 A&C Act 2 Impugned Award 3 AAI Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed By:HARVINDER KAUR O.M.P. (COMM) 204/2016 Page 1 of 13 BHATIA Signing Date:27.02.2026 15:27:23 by limitation. It is further submitted that some of these claims pertain to periods substantially prior to the relevant reference date, and in certain instances relate to events alleged to have occurred as far back as the year 1996. 3. Learned counsel for the AAI further submits that the final bill was raised on 16.04.1999 and was accepted under protest by the Respondent on 28.04.1999. He relies upon the Acceptance Letter dated 16.07.19994 of the Respondent, which reads as follows: “RDI-ARC The Chief· Engineer, AAI, ARC Project, IGI Airport, Palam, New Delhi-110037 Subject:- Construction of Composi