Supreme Court Bars Forum Shopping, Holds Parties Cannot Pursue Multiple Arbitrations for Same Dispute

The Supreme Court held that parties cannot pursue multiple or sequential arbitration forums for the same dispute under different legal regimes. 

Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan ruled that once a statutory arbitral process is initiated, parties cannot abandon it to invoke private arbitration for the same dispute. 

Such actions, the Court said, are barred by the doctrines of election and estoppel and amount to impermissible forum shopping. 

The Court clarified that statutory arbitration requirements override conflicting contractual clauses, directing the appellant to seek revival of their original petition only before the statutory tribunal. 

[Umri Pooph Pratappur Tollways Private Limited v. MP Road Development Corporation]