ENA Sectors 2026-02-05 16:23:00 <p><span style="font-size:14px"><strong>New Delhi, Feb 5 (KNN)</strong> The Delhi High Court has imposed Rs 1 lakh in costs on a judgment debtor for pursuing a repeated and frivolous legal challenge at the execution stage of an arbitral award, in a case where the underlying issues had already been finally decided by courts, including the Supreme Court.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:14px">Court Rejects Repeated Objection as Abuse of Process</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar dismissed the objection application, finding that the attempt to reopen settled jurisdictional questions amounted to an abuse of the judicial process and a calculated effort to delay enforcement of the award. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">The challenge, which claimed that the sole arbitrator was unilaterally appointed, had been raised and rejected repeatedly in earlier stages of the proceedings &mdash; by the arbitral tribunal, the High Court and the Supreme Court.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">The bench held that once an issue has been conclusively decided, it cannot be resurrected in execution proceedings merely by casting it as a fresh jurisdictional challenge. Doing so would undermine the finality of judicial decisions and encourage endless litigation.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:14px">Award Enforcement to Proceed</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">The arbitral award in question, dated December 31, 2014, required the judgment debtor to pay Rs 4.80 crore plus interest and costs arising from a failed Hauz Khas property transaction. With the objection dismissed and costs imposed, the court allowed the execution process to continue.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:14px">Cost Directions</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">The court directed that the Rs 1 lakh costs be paid within two weeks, split equally between the decree holder and the Delhi High Court Bar Association.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">This order underscores the judiciarys stance against repetitive and baseless litigation aimed at delaying enforcement of final awards.</span></p> <p><em><strong><span style="font-size:14px">(KNN Bureau)</span></strong></em></p> 45043 https://knnindia.co.in/news/newsdetails/sectors/delhi-hc-slams-repeated-legal-challenge-to-arbitral-award-imposes-rs-1-lakh-costs 2026-02-05 16:23:00 knnindia.co.in