Supreme Court upholds High Court's order allowing Energy Watchdog to join power dispute

The case concerns a Special Leave Petition filed by Amalgam Steels and Power Ltd. and another against an interim High Court order that allowed the NGO Energy Watchdog to participate in proceedings initiated by Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd. (JBVNL) regarding alleged unauthorized power supply and breach of a captive power plant agreement.

Who it concerns: Petitioners: M/s. Amalgam Steels and Power Ltd. and Anr.; Respondents: Energy Watchdog and Ors.; Bench: Justice Pamidighantham Sri Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe.

What the court decided

• The Supreme Court disposed of the Special Leave Petition.
• The Court declined to interfere with the High Court's interim order dated 05.02.2026.
• The Court upheld the High Court's direction allowing Energy Watchdog to participate in the JBVNL proceedings to present facts.
• The Court clarified that it has not expressed any opinion on the merits of the matter.
• The Court directed that the High Court will consider all aspects, including the scope of third-party intervention under the Electricity Act, at the time of final hearing.

Also in the document

• The order is an interim disposition of a Special Leave Petition, not a final judgment on the merits.
• The Court noted that the High Court's direction was not perverse given the peculiar facts and the need to bring full facts to the notice of JBVNL.
• The Court emphasized that the Electricity Act is an exhaustive code and the High Court must consider the regulatory regime before passing a final order.