Delhi HC grants interim relief to Reliance Power's subsidiary Reliance NU BESS

Delhi High Court granted interim relief to Reliance Power's subsidiary, Reliance NU BESS, in a petition pertaining to disqualification from participating in three bids solely on the ground of the debarment order dated November 06, 2024, issued by Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited, against the Petitioner.

On November 26, the high court had a stayed a SECI order banning Reliance Power and all its subsidiaries, except Reliance NU BESS, from bidding for projects on charge of submitting allegedly fake bank guarantee in a recent tender.



The court had accepted the company's invocation of the principle of natural justice and arguments that the parent company or other group entities cannot be debarred because of an “issue” arising between the bidder subsidiary — Reliance NU BESS — and SECI.

Staying the SECI ban imposed on November 6, the court had also ordered removal of the public notice, except regarding Reliance NU BESS, from the SECI website and set the next hearing for December 12.

The bank guarantee was purportedly issued by the FirstRand Bank through its branch supposed to be located in Manila City, Manila, the Philippines. But during SECI’s due diligence, however, the bank’s Indian branch denied existence of any branch in Manila City, prompting the agency to conclude the company had submitted “fake documents”.