Supreme Court Deliberates on Forged Arbitration Agreements in Rajia Begum v. Barnali Mukherjee Case. INTRODUCTION In March 2026, the Supreme Court of India drew a line that every arbitration practitioner must understand. In Rajia Begum v. Barnali Mukherjee & Ors.  (2026 INSC 106), The Court ruled that when a party alleges the arbitration agreement itself is forged, not merely that a fraud occurred within the underlying contract that no arbitrator can be appointed and no refer

The Supreme Court clarifies the precise commencement of arbitration proceedings, providing much-needed guidance. INTRODUCTION There is a deceptively simple question at the heart of many arbitration disputes in India: when, exactly, does the arbitration begin? It sounds straightforward. But for banks, NBFCs, and corporate litigants holding a pre-arbitration court order under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, getting this date wrong can cost them everythi

Supreme Court Decision on Forgery and Fraud: Clarifying Court Involvement Before Arbitration Proceedings. INTRODUCTION The Supreme Court of India, in Rajia Begum v. Barnali Mukherjee & Ors.  (2026 INSC 106), has delivered a significant and clarificatory judgment on the interplay between allegations of forgery, fraud, and the doctrine of arbitrability under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The Court was confronted with a situation where the same High Court, on ident