High Court rejects arbitration court verdict in Delhi Metro airport line case

New Delhi (Urban Transport News): In the matter of Delhi airport metro line, the Delhi High Court dismissed the verdict in favor of Reliance Infrastructure's subsidiary Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL). It is notable that Reliance Infrastructure's subsidiary Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd (DAMEPL), had separated itself from its operation due to security issues in the Delhi Airport Metro Line.

After this, the matter went to the arbitration court where the arbitration court accepted the plea of the DAMEEPL in May 2017 that the operation on this metro line is not viable because there is a structural flaw in the metro line. The DAMEPL had mentioned in its petition hat the track and infrastructure on which the metro train run are weak hence they can not operate the train on the same. After this, the matter was presented before the arbitration court and the court had ordered the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to make payment of Rs 4,500 crore in favor of Reliance Infrarstrure Limited. Following the arbitration court's decision, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) challenged it in the High Court.

The single judge of the Delhi High Court upheld the arbitration court's decision on March 6, 2018, which DMRC again challenged in the double bench. On hearing the petition filed against the order passed by the single judge court, double bench of Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Chandra Shekhar said that while the arbitration court decided on the issue of weakness in the infrastructure, the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) gave permission for commercial operation of the train on this line. The arbitration court failed to mention the CMRS's certificate which was important evidence.

The counsel of Delhi Metro said in its appeal that it was operating the metro train on the airport line from June 2013, when DAMEPL had abandoned the project despite repair of structural flaws by the DMRC.