Karnal court orders rapper Badshah to deposit Rs 2.2 crore security in ongoing ‘Baawla’ song payment dispute with Unisys Infosolutions, marking a major legal setback for the artist.
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HARYANA: A Commercial Court at Karnal, Haryana, has directed popular rapper and music producer Aditya Prateek Singh, popularly known as Badshah, to furnish security totalling Rs 2.2 crore in an ongoing payment dispute with Unisys Infosolutions over the 2021 track Baawla.
The order, passed by Judge Jasbir Singh Kundu on July 22, 2025, partially allowed Unisys’ petition under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, which enables parties to seek interim relief before or during arbitration proceedings.
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Background of the Dispute
The conflict traces back to an agreement between Badshah and Unisys Infosolutions, a Karnal-based media and music distribution company, in 2021.
Under the agreement:
- Badshah was to pay Rs 1.05 crore for promotional activities.
- An additional Rs 65 lakh was to be paid for completing the video for Baawla.
The music video was released on July 28, 2021. However, Unisys alleges that despite issuing two tax invoices in May 2022 amounting to Rs 2 crore (inclusive of GST), no payments were made.
With the total claim, covering costs, interest, and other expenses, reaching Rs 2.88 crore, Unisys approached the court seeking urgent interim protection, including freezing Badshah’s bank accounts.
Court’s Observations
The court rejected objections regarding the lack of pre-institution mediation under Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act, noting that the petition sought urgent interim relief, which justified bypassing mediation.
On examining the merits, the judge found a prima facie case in Unisys’ favour. The court noted:
- Badshah had not admitted liability “for a single penny.”
- Security worth only Rs 1.7 crore had been provided against the Rs 2.88 crore claim.
- There was an apprehension that Badshah might alienate assets or withdraw bank funds to defeat Unisys’ claim.
Interim Directions
The court ordered:
- Restraining encashment or encumbrance of the existing Rs 1.7 crore fixed deposit receipt (FDR) already placed on record.
- Directing Badshah to deposit an additional Rs 50 lakh FDR within 60 days.
- Imposing the same restriction on encashment or encumbrance for the new deposit.
The court clarified that these findings are tentative, based solely on the pleadings and documents so far, and are meant to protect the parties’ rights until the arbitral tribunal decides the matter.
In a separate but related case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued notice to Badshah on July 17, 2025, regarding the appointment of an arbitrator. The matter will be heard on October 8, 2025.
Appearance:
Petitioners: Advocates SL Nirwania and Amit Nirwania
Badshah: Advocate Vijender Parmar
Case Title:
Unisys Infosolution v. Badshah
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