

Mint Explainer | Why SpiceJet is back in the Supreme Court: Inside the ₹144 crore Maran dispute
₹144.51 crore, the latest escalation in a decade-long dispute with former promoter Kalanithi Maran and KAL Airways Pvt. Ltd.The case concerns enforcement of payment obligations arising from a 2018 arbitral award linked to the airline’s 2015 ownership transfer.
The latest order has intensified legal and financial pressure on the budget carrier, which has challenged the deposit direction before the top court.Here is a breakdown of the dispute, the prolonged court battle, and what is at stake.The case traces back to January 2015, when Maran and KAL Airways transferred their 58.46% stake in SpiceJet to Ajay Singh under a share sale and purchase agreement, at a time when the airline was facing severe financial distress and was close to shutting down.As part of the arrangement, Maran and KAL Airways had paid about ₹679 crore to SpiceJet for issuance of convertible warrants and preference shares. Maran later alleged that these instruments were not issued under the new management, prompting him to approach the Delhi High Court in 2017 seeking a refund.Since the agreement contained an arbitration clause, the matter was referred to arbitration.In July 2018, a three-member arbitral tribunal comprising retired Supreme Court judges rejected Maran’s claim for ₹1,323 crore in damages.
However, it directed SpiceJet to refund ₹579 crore along with interest relating to the warrants and preference shares.Both sides challenged aspects of the award before the Delhi High Court.In February 2023, the Supreme Court directed that a ₹270 crore bank guarantee be encashed and paid to Maran and KAL Airways. It also asked SpiceJet to pay ₹75 crore towards interest within a specified period, warning that failure to comply would make the award fully
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