judicial examination under section 11 6a of the arbitration act is strictly confined to inspecting the prima facie existence of an arbitration agreement without conducting mini trials

Under Section 11(6-A) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, the referral court's jurisdiction at the pre-referral stage is strictly limited to scrutinizing dealings between the parties to determine the formal existence of an arbitration clause under Section 7. Courts must refrain from launching laborious or contested inquiries into the substantive validity, arbitrability, or underlying merits of the dispute. The doctrine of competence-competence empowers the arbitral tribunal under Section 16 to rule on its own jurisdiction, including objections regarding the existence, scope, and validity of the arbitration agreement. Prima facie findings by the referral court do not bind the arbitral tribunal or setting-aside courts during subsequent proceedings. (Motilal Oswal Financial Services Limited v. Santosh Cordeiro and Another | 2026 INSC 5)