* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Judgment Reserved on: 23.02.2026 % Judgment Delivered on: 10.04.2026 + LPA 83/2026, CM Nos. 12280/2026, 12281/2026 & 12282/2026 M/S VEDANTA LIMITED .....Appellant Versus THE NOMINATED AUTHORITY MINISTRY OF COAL GOVERNMENT OF INDIA & ORS. .....Respondents AND + LPA 84/2026, CM Nos.12316/2026, 12317/2026 & 12318/2026 THE NOMINATED AUTHORITY MINISTRY OF COAL GOVERNMENT OF INDIA & ANR. .....Appellants Versus M/S VEDANTA LIMITED .....Respondent Advocates who appeared in these cases Mr. Nidhesh Gupta, Senior Advocate with Mr. Naveen Kumar, Mr. Ujjawal Kumar Rai, Mr. Aditya Goyal, Mr. Sudhanshu Pathak, Mr. Bikram Dwivedi, Ms. Isha Baloni, Mr. Rishabh Chaudhary, Mr. Lakshay Singh & Ms. Pragya Prachi Pandey, Advocates for Vedanta Limited.

Mr. Ankur Mittal, CGSC with Mr. Keshav Pawar, GP; Mr. Aviraj Pandey and Ms. Rabaica Jaiswal, Advocates for UoI.

CORAM:

HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TEJAS KARIA

JUDGMENT

TEJAS KARIA, J

1. These Appeals have been filed challenging the orders dated 07.02.2026 and 09.02.2026 (“Impugned Orders”) passed in W.P.(C) No.1664/2026 (“Writ Petition”) tilted as “M/s Vedanta Ltd. v. The Nominated Authority, Ministry of Coal, Government of India & Ors. whereby the Writ Petition challenging the orders dated 22.12.2025 and 02.01.2026 passed by the Special Tribunal, Talcher, Odisha in Special Tribunal Case No.31/2025 was disposed of by holding that the Appellant shall agitate its grievance before the jurisdictional High Court and granted status quo qua any precipitative action till the stay application is adjudicated by the Tribunal.

2. The Impugned Orders have been challenged by Vedanta Ltd. (“Vedanta”) in LPA No.83/2026 and by the Nominated Authority, Ministry of Coal, Government of India (“Nominated Authority”) in LPA No.84/2026.

FACTUAL MATRIX

3. The Nominated Authority issued a tender on 18.06.2020 for auction of coal mines for sale of coal pertaining to Radhikapur (West) Coal Mine under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2025 (“Act”).

4. Vedanta was successful bidder and a Coal Mine Development and Production Agreement (“CMDPA”) was executed between the President of India and Vedanta on 11.01.2021. Accordingly, the Vesting Order was issued by the Nominated Authority on 03.03.2021.

5. The CMDPA prescribed efficiency parameters and milestones to be completed within the timelines stipulated against each of the milestones. The Nominated Authority issued first Show Cause Notice (“SCN-I”) to Vedanta for non-compliance of Milestone 2 (Mining Plan) on 08.02.2022. Vedanta submitted its reply to SCN-I on 21.02.2022 citing reasons including delay due to Covid-19 pandemic and issues relating to mine boundary coordinates. On 18.01.2023, the Nominated Authority dropped SCN-I based on the recommendation of the Scrutiny Committee.

6. On 06.06.2024, second Show Cause Notice (“SCN-II”) was issued by the Nominated Authority regarding delay in achievement of Milestone-3 and non-operationalization of mine. Vedanta submitted reply to SCN-II on 20.06.2024 stating issues with FC, EC, boundary coordinates, DGPS survey and sought further time. The Scrutiny Committee examined the reply of Vedanta to SCN-II and recorded that the issues raised by Vedanta were already within its knowledge and Vedanta never applied for revision of Zero Date. Vedanta did not protest the Scrutiny Committee’s findings and furnished the voluntary undertaking to operationalize the mine by

03.06.2025.

7. Despite the expiry of the deadline agreed by Vedanta for operationalization of the mine on 03.06.2025, Vedanta did not meet the deadline. Accordingly, the Nominated Authority issued Appropriation Order dated 21.07.2025 appropriating ₹29.23 crores from the Performance Bank Guarantee (“PBG”). On 22.07.2025, Vedanta submitted a protest letter objecting to the appropriation order and filed W.P.(C) No.10686/2025 before this Court challenging the appropriation order.

8. Vide Judgment dated 02.12.2025, the said Writ Petit