The Supreme Court on Monday took note of arbitration proceedings initiated by the Delhi High Court against real estate company Amrapali Group on former cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s plea.

However, the Supreme Court has not put any stay on the proceedings initiated by the Delhi High Court but questioned how HC can initiate any proceedings when the top court is already examining this matter, said lawyer ML Lahoty.

According to the lawyer, the counsel of the Amrapali Group has apprised the court about the arbitration proceedings initiated by the Delhi High Court on Dhoni’s plea.

According to Lahoty, the top court has made it clear that it is considering the matter as it noted the money belongs to homebuyers, however, did not stay the proceedings initiated by the Delhi High court. The Delhi High Court had initiated arbitration proceedings against Amrapali Group on Dhoni’s plea.

Dhoni had moved a petition filed under provisions of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act for the appointment of a Sole Arbitrator to adjudicate the disputes and differences between the parties pertaining to a joint venture agreement on June 14, 2011. The Delhi High Court had appointed Justice Veena Birbal, a former Judge of this Court, as the sole Arbitrator to adjudicate the disputes between the parties.

Earlier in March 2019, former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni knocked the doors of the Supreme Court seeking its direction to Amrapali group for payment of his pending dues allegedly amounting to ₹40 crore towards his services to the real estate company.

On January 25 2019, the top had given a go-ahead to the government-owned National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) to start the process of completing two stalled Amrapali housing projects.

On July 23 2019, the court asked the NBCC to complete the unfinished housing projects of Amrapali in Noida and Greater Noida areas and hand over these to the homebuyers as soon as possible. The court had also cancelled the RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) registration of Amrapali Group.

On July 18 2022, the top court said that “Monetary claim raised by the Company shall be looked into after the claims of all the flat-buyers for possession of the respective apartments booked by them and the statutory entities or corporations like NOIDA/Greater NOIDA and Electricity Company are considered and satisfied.”

On July 18, 2022, the top court also said that after considering the plight of the flat-buyers and the progress of construction, it directed the power company to restore the electricity supply.