Maran vs SpiceJet: Delhi HC defers hearing to February, Ajay Singh to remain present in court

SpiceJet case deferred

The Delhi High Court on January 10 deferred to early February the hearing of pleas by media baron Kalanithi Maran against low-cost airline SpiceJet over payment of dues.

The hearing was put off on the request of SpiceJet as its lawyer Amit Sibal was indisposed. The court, however, refused to grant relief and asked SpiceJet's chairman and managing director Ajay Singh to be present on the next date of hearing.

The court on November 20 summoned  Singh for the second time in three months after Maran told the court that the airline had to pay Rs 440 crore to him towards interest arising out of dues from an arbitral award.

After paying Rs 100 crore in September 2023, SpiceJet had not made any more payments, Maran said.

Case file

In September, SpiceJet and Singh complied with the court's direction to pay Maran Rs 100 crore towards the dues they owed the Sun Group chairperson.

The court had warned that a failure to pay could lead to the court attaching SpiceJet's profits for the previous quarter.

Singh was asked to be present in person after Maran filed an application, saying SpiceJet had not filed an affidavit detailing assets and liabilities despite being asked to do so in 2020.

Maran claimed that SpiceJet owed him Rs 393 crore as of August 3, 2023 and sought the attachment of 50 percent of SpiceJet's daily revenue.

The validity of the arbitral award, which was being contested, was upheld by a single judge of the high court on July 31. SpiceJet and Singh challenged the order before a division bench of the court.

The Supreme Court on July 7 held the award as executable, saying SpiceJet did not adhere to the timeline to make payments to Maran.

Disposing of the case, the top court directed that SpiceJet’s Rs 270-crore bank guarantee be encashed and asked the airline to pay Rs 75 crore towards interest within three months.