In Brief
HARSAC, a government land records digitization agency, appointed a Principal Secretary as its arbitrator in a dispute with Pan India Consultants. The arbitration proceedings extended over four years without a final award. The Court held that appointing a government official with control over one party as arbitrator violates mandatory conflict-of-interest rules under the Arbitration Act 1996. The Court set aside the tribunal's appointment and substituted a retired Supreme Court judge as sole arbitrator to complete proceedings within six months, with parties sharing fees equally.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.