Delhi HC appoints arbitrator to address conflict between Ashneer Grover and BharatPe

New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Thursday has appointed a sole arbitrator to address the conflicts between BharatPe and its former MD Ashneer Grover. The disputes center around allegations that Grover breached confidentiality terms outlined in his employment agreement with the fintech firm.
Justice C. Hari Shankar of the Delhi High Court has ordered the appointment of a sole arbitrator to resolve disputes between Ashneer Grover and BharatPe. BharatPe's plea under a relevant section of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act sought to resolve issues stemming from Grover's alleged breach of confidentiality by disclosing sensitive company information on social media. BharatPe proposed former Supreme Court Justice Hemant Gupta as the arbitrator, but Grover suggested Justice (Retired) J.R. Midha instead.
Grover's advocate, Giriraj Subramanium, did not oppose arbitration but proposed that the matter be handled by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), given its ongoing involvement with related disputes over the shareholders' agreement. BharatPe's advocate, Anuj Berry, contested this, asserting that the employment agreement specifies arbitration under the Delhi International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), which the Court upheld. Additionally, BharatPe had previously sought a restraining order to prevent Grover from publicly disclosing company details.
The Delhi High Court had previously imposed a penalty of Rs. 2 lakh on Ashneer Grover for breaching a court order by posting derogatory content about BharatPe on social media. Justice Rekha Palli, expressing disapproval of Grover's repeated violations, mandated that he pay the costs to the Delhi High Court Clerk Association. Grover issued an unconditional apology, which the court accepted, contingent upon the payment of the imposed costs.