HC notice to realtor on ex-India cricketer Yuvraj Singh's pleas to appoint arbitrator for adjudicating disputes

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has taken cognizance of two petitions filed by former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh against a real estate company, Brilliant Etoile Private Limited.
Justice C Hari Shankar issued a notice to the firm, seeking their response to Yuvraj's pleas for the appointment of an arbitrator to resolve the disputes between the parties.The court has scheduled the next hearing for August 5, reported PTI.
In one of the petitions, filed through his advocate Rizwan, Yuvraj stated that he and his mother had entered into a sale agreement with the builder for the purchase of an apartment worth over Rs 14 crore in a real estate project called 'Sky Mansion' (also known as 'Risland') in Hauz Khas, Delhi.
The second petition pertains to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Yuvraj and the builder, which involved the cricketer's promotion, endorsement, and marketing of the real estate project. However, Yuvraj alleges that the builder has violated the terms of both the MoU and the agreement, particularly regarding the delivery of possession of the apartment.
“Pursuant to the receipt of the possession letter the petitioners inspected the apartment and to utter shock and dismay of the petitioners, the same was found to be in complete disregard of the standards of quality, grade, specifications and finishing promised at the time of execution of the agreement.
"It is submitted that the respondent compromised on the quality of material used and down-graded the quality of fittings, furnishings, lighting and finishing of the apartment. The same fails to match the standard attributed to the sample displayed and promised to the petitioners in terms of the agreement,” the petitions said.
As per the agreement, the sportsman was obligated to promote and endorse the venture until November 23, 2023, when the MoU was set to expire. The cricketer has expressed displeasure over the purported ongoing commercial exploitation of his services, which includes the display of his images on billboards, project sites, social media posts, and articles, despite the termination of the MoU, according to the document.
The former India all-rounder asserted that the alleged persistent use of his likeness and other attributes constituted a blatant infringement of his copyright, personality rights, and right to publicity, all of which are safeguarded under the law and recognized as his intellectual property rights.