Tarun Chandru Sadarangani vs Lokhandwala Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. — Bombay HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Tarun Chandru Sadarangani vs Lokhandwala Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. — Bombay HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Appointment of Justice Amjad Sayed (Former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh) as Arbitrator, with the Respondent's objections kept specifically open; both parties to jointly approach the Arbitrator to fix a schedule for arbitration.

Issue for consideration

Whether there is a dispute referable to arbitration under the Agreement, the Respondent opposing the appointment of an Arbitrator on the grounds that (i) the Agreement does not survive and/or stands superseded, the property having been repurchased by the Respondent, and (ii) the Applicant has instituted a Suit in the Bombay City Civil Court on the same cause of action.

Court's answer

Justice Amjad Sayed (Former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh) is appointed to act as Arbitrator in the dispute between the parties.

Ratio / Principle

The appointment is made with both of the Respondent's objections — non-survival/supersession of the Agreement upon repurchase of the property, and pendency of the Applicant's Suit in the Bombay City Civil Court on the same cause of action — kept specifically open, there being no dispute as to execution of the agreement or as to arbitrability.

Key takeaways

Both parties are directed to jointly approach the Arbitrator to fix a schedule for arbitration upon the order being uploaded.ratio¶23

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Arbitration Application — Appointment of Arbitrator — Respondent opposed the appointment on two grounds: (i) the Agreement did not survive and/or stood superseded, the property in question having been repurchased by the Respondent; and (ii) the Applicant had instituted a Suit in the Bombay City Civil Court on the same cause of action. There being no dispute as to execution of the Agreement or as to arbitrability, and learned counsel for the Respondent being agreeable to the appointment with both objections kept specifically open (to which the Applicant's counsel had no objection), the Court appointed Justice Amjad Sayed, Former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh, as Arbitrator, disposed of the application, and directed both parties to jointly approach the Arbitrator to fix a schedule for arbitration. (Coram: Arif S. Doctor, J.; decided 20th February 2026.)

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903-ARBAP-251-24.DOC

Digitally signed by MEERA MEERA MAHESH IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY MAHESH JADHAV JADHAV Date: 2026.02.26 ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION 10:09:14 +0530 ARBITRATION APPLICATION NO. 251 OF 2024

Tarun Chandru Sadarangani ...Applicant Versus

Lokhandwala Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd ...Respondent

Mr. Rajan Malkani a/w Ms Shraddha Chavan, Ms Prerana Shukla, Ms Shalaka More, Ms Roli Bohra i/b Mr. D. S. Kulkarni for Applicant. Mr. Anil Rao for Respondent.

CORAM : ARIF S. DOCTOR, J. DATE : 20th FEBRUARY 2026

P.C.

1 The only two grounds taken by the Respondent, to oppose the appointment of an Arbitrator and are (i) the Agreement in question today does not survive and/or stands superseded, in view of the fact that the property in question has been repurchased by the Respondent and (ii) the Applicant has instituted a Suit in the Bombay City Civil Court on the same cause of action. It is thus learned counsel for the Respondent thus submitted that there is no dispute, which can be referred to Arbitration under the said Agreement.

Since, however, there was no dispute as to the execution of the said agreement or the arbitrability of the dispute, the learned counsel for the Respondent was agreeable to the appointment of an Arbitrator, keeping both the aforesaid objections specifically open. Learned counsel for the Applicant did not

Meera Jadhav

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903-ARBAP-251-24.DOC

have any objection to this.

3 Hence, I hereby appoint Justice Amjad Sayed (Former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh) to act as an Arbitrator. The details of Justice Amjad Sayed are

as follows:

Arbitrator Mr. Justice Amjad A. Sayed (former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh)

Address 225, DBS Business Centre, 2nd floor, Raheja Chambers, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021

Mobile 9820071240

Email [email protected]

4 Captioned Arbitration application is accordingly disposed of.

5 On a copy of this order being uploaded, both parties shall jointly approach the Arbitrator to fix a schedule for arbitration.

[ARIF S. DOCTOR, J.]

Meera Jadhav