Authority: Supreme Court of India, Civil Appellate Jurisdiction (Bench: Hon'ble Mr. Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha, Hon'ble Mr. Justice Alok Aradhe)

Order Date: 21 September 2026

Case Overview

  • Parties: REAN WATER TECH PVT. LTD (appellant) vs M. P. JAL NIGAM MARYADIT & ANR (respondents).
  • The appeal challenged the order dated 24 July 2026 of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Jabalpur, which had upheld interim orders dated 03 June 2026 and 22 June 2026 passed by the Madhya Pradesh Arbitration Tribunal and dismissed a writ petition under Article 227.
  • The Tribunal’s interim orders directed joint measurement of the work performed by the appellant, preparation of inventory of material at the site, and prohibited the respondent from commencing work through any third agency until joint measurement was completed. The proceedings were adjourned to 22 June 2026 and subsequently to 03 August 2026 pending the joint measurement report.
  • Counsel for the appellant (Ms. Meenakshi Arora) argued that the Tribunal should decide the pending application for interim directions. Counsel for the respondents (Mr. Ravindra Srivastava) indicated that the application for interim relief was scheduled for hearing on 23 September 2026 and that the respondents had already allotted the work to a third party, excluding the area allotted to the appellant.

Observations and Reasoning

  • The Court noted that issues of this nature appear with troubling frequency and therefore the constitution and objectivity of the Tribunal constituted under the Madhya Pradesh Madhyastham Adhikaran Adhiniyam, 1983 need to be examined.
  • The Court directed that notice be issued to the State of Madhya Pradesh and a copy of the civil appeal and this order be sent to the standing counsel for the State.
  • The Court requested Mr. Ravindra Srivastava, learned senior counsel, to assist as Amicus Curiae, which he accepted.

Final Outcome

  • The civil appeal is disposed of in terms of the signed order.
  • The matter is listed for further consideration on 17 November 2026 to examine the constitution and objectivity of the Madhya Pradesh Madhyastham Adhikaran Tribunal.

Topics: Arbitration, Judicial Review