Ministry Of External Affairs Grants Permission To French Company To Sue Spanish Embassy In India

Which French Company Is In Question And What Did It Do

• The French firm called Ultraconfidentiel specialises in providing worldwide design concepts for commercial spaces as well as global turnkey projects from concept to completion.
• The Embassy of Spain hired Ultraconfidentiel in 2018 to build a new security centre and public washroom, as well as a guard hut and replace metal gates and internal doors at its building. In 2019, the company issued an invoice for Rs. 7,08,000 in design fees that was not paid.

What Is The Conflict Between Ultraconfidentiel And The Embassy Of Spain

• Ultraconfidentiel then sent a legal notice to the Spanish Embassy, requesting payment, but the Embassy did not respond.
• Ultraconfidentiel's subsequent attempts to obtain money were unsuccessful, with the embassy claiming that Ultraconfidentiel's project did not conform with local legislation and would require further licences.
• Ultraconfidentiel, on the other hand insisted that the scope of service did not include obtaining regulatory permissions.

What Is The Legality Of The Matter

• The company's Managing Director, Pierre Arnaud Cassin, was granted permission under Section 86 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), which states that cases against foreign states, rulers, envoys, or ambassadors can only be brought with the authorization of the Central government.
• After receiving approval, the company will proceed to competent court, where it will be defended by Counsel Siddharth Batra.