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Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Sections 5, 34, and 37 — Scope of Judicial Intervention — Minimum intervention of judicial authority in domestic arbitration matters is required under Section 5 — Challenge to an arbitral award under Section 34 is limited to specific grounds, including patent illegality or conflict with the public policy of India — Scope of interference by the Appellate Court under Section 37 is akin to and cannot travel beyond the restrictions laid down under Section 34 — Appellate Court cannot undertake an independent assessment of the merits of the award or re-interpret contractual clauses if the interpretation by the Arbitral Tribunal was a plausible view and upheld under Section 34 — Setting aside an arbitral award under Section 37, which was upheld under Section 34, based on providing a different interpretation of contractual clauses is unsustainable in law. (Paras 24, 25, 30, 31, 36, 37, 39, 50, 51) Limitation Act, 1963 — Article 54 — Suit for specific performance — Commencement of limitation period — Where the defendant subsequently executed an affidavit ratifying the agreement to sell and conveying no-objection to the transfer, the period of limitation commences from the date of the admitted affidavit, as this is the stage at which the executant finally refused to execute the sale deed to the extent of her share — Trial court and High Court erred in dismissing the suit on the ground of limitation calculated from an earlier disputed date. (Paras 13, 35, 36, 37) Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 9(2) read with Rule 9(4) of 2001 Rules — Setting aside High Court judgment — High Court erroneously treated the date of filing of the Section 11 petition (28.06.2024) as the commencement date, leading to the conclusion that proceedings commenced beyond the statutory period — Where the arbitration notice was served (on 11.04.2024) well within the 90-day period from the ad-interim injunction order (17.02.2024), proceedings commenced in time as per Section 21 — High Court’s finding unsustainable, resulting in the restoration of the Trial Court’s initial ad-interim injunction order. (Paras 28, 31, 32) E. Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 9 — Interim injunction — Dispute regarding existence Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 2(28) — Definition of “motor vehicle” — Components — Definition has two parts: an inclusive part (mechanically propelled vehicle adapted for use upon roads) and an exclusive part — The second part expressly excludes “a vehicle of a special type adapted for use only in a factory or in any other enclosed premises” — Although Dumpers, Loaders, etc., may fall under the first part of the definition, they are excluded if their nature of use is confined to factory or enclosed premises, being special type vehicles/Construction Equipment Vehicles. (Paras 36, 37, 38, 39) Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities of BootLeggers, Dacoits, Drug-Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders etc. Act, 1986 — Section 3(2) — Preventive Detention — Grounds for Detention — Requirement of finding ‘prejudicial to the maintenance of public order’ — Detenu, a ‘drug offender’, was detained based on three criminal cases involving Ganja, with an apprehension that if released on bail, she would engage in similar activities — Held, mere apprehension that the detenu, if released on bail, would be likely to indulge in similar crimes would not be a sufficient ground for ordering preventive detention — Order of detention failed to indicate how the detenu’s activities were prejudicial to ‘public order’ as opposed to ‘law and order’ and was therefore unsustainable. (Paras 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11)

Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Sections 5, 34, and 37 — Scope of Judicial Intervention — Minimum intervention of judicial authority in domestic arbitration matters is required under Section 5 — Challenge to an arbitral award under Section 34 is limited to specific grounds, including patent illegality or conflict with the public policy of India — Scope of interference by the Appellate Court under Section 37 is akin to and cannot travel beyond the restrictions laid down under Section 34 — Appellate Court cannot undertake an independent assessment of the merits of the award or re-interpret contractual clauses if the interpretation by the Arbitral Tribunal was a plausible view and upheld under Section 34 — Setting aside an arbitral award under Section 37, which was upheld under Section 34, based on providing a different interpretation of contractual clauses is unsustainable in law. (Paras 24, 25, 30, 31, 36, 37, 39, 50, 51)

Limitation Act, 1963 — Article 54 — Suit for specific performance — Commencement of limitation period — Where the defendant subsequently executed an affidavit ratifying the agreement to sell and conveying no-objection to the transfer, the period of limitation commences from the date of the admitted affidavit, as this is the stage at which the executant finally refused to execute the sale deed to the extent of her share — Trial court and High Court erred in dismissing the suit on the ground of limitation calculated from an earlier disputed date. (Paras 13, 35, 36, 37)

HELD After a body has been buried, it is considered to be in the custody of the law; therefore, disinterment is not a matter of right. The law does not favour disinterment, based on the public policy that the sanctity of the grave should be maintained. Once buried, a body should not be disturbed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH MOHAMMAD LATIEF MAGREY — Appellant Vs. THE UNION TERRITORY OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Surya Kant and J.B.…

Land Acquisition Case – In a democratic society governed by the rule of law, the rights of an individual carry immense importance and are the foundational blocks on which our legal, social, and political milieu thrives – Under no circumstances should the rights of individual citizens be trodden upon arbitrarily and any curtailment of them must be scrutinized with utmost care.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH DR. ABRAHAM PATANI OF MUMBAI AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Surya Kant and…

Constitution of India, 1950 – Article 14 – An appointment to the heirs of the employees on their retirement and/or superannuation shall be contrary to the object and purpose of appointment on compassionate grounds and is hit by Article 14 of the Constitution of India.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH AHMEDNAGAR MAHANAGAR PALIKA — Appellant Vs. AHMEDNAGAR MAHANAGAR PALIKA KAMGAR UNION — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and B.V. Nagarathna, JJ. ) Civil…

IPC Sections 376(2)(n) and 506 – Going by the allegations made in the First Information Report that the incident in question had occurred five months before the First Information Report was lodged and the attending circumstances, in our view, the case of anticipatory bail is made out.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH BEERBAL PRASAD RAJORIYA — Appellant Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH — Respondent ( Before : Uday Umesh Lalit, CJI. and S. Ravindra Bhat, JJ.…

Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 – Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(e) – It is for the accused to account satisfactorily for the money/assets in his hands – Onus in this regard is on the accused to give satisfactory explanation – Accused cannot make an attempt to discharge this onus upon him at the stage of Section 239 of the CrPC. State appeal allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH STATE THROUGH DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE — Appellant Vs. R. SOUNDIRARASU ETC. — Respondent ( Before : Dinesh Maheshwari and J.B. Pardiwala, JJ. )…

Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976 – Section 10(1), 10(3) and 10(5) – Once the land stood vested with the Government compensation paid no justification for the appellants to claim deemed possession of the subject land in question and even if they are in physical possession, no right could be claimed in reference to the subject land by the appellants.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH GOPALBHAI PANCHABHAI ZALAVADIA (DEAD) THR LRS — Appellant Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Ajay Rastogi and Abhay S.…

Benami ownership – Where the first plaintiff had proved that the properties had been purchased, with his funds, and the sons were minors, with no source of income – Plaintiff also proved that he had possession of the property, by adducing positive evidence of tenants, who paid rent to him – Elements necessary to establish benami ownership within the meaning of Section 4(3)(a) of the Act.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH PUSHPALATA — Appellant Vs. VIJAY KUMAR (DEAD) THR. LRS. AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Uday Umesh Lalit, S. Ravindrabhat and Sudhanshu Dhulia,…

Central Excise Act, 1944 – Section 173­L – HELD returned goods may be treated as a raw material and therefore the “value” of the raw material can be considered for the purpose of “value” while determining the refund under Section 173­L cannot be accepted – Denial of the refund is in consonance of Section 173­L (v) of the Central Excise Act – Appeal dismissed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH M/S PEACOCK INDUSTRIES LTD. — Appellant Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M. R. Shah and Krishna Murari, JJ.…

Reduction of sentence – Court is required to go by the principle of proportionality – If undue sympathy is shown by reducing the sentence to the minimum, it may adversely affect the faith of people in efficacy of law – It is the gravity of crime which is the prime consideration for deciding what should be the appropriate punishment.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH SAHEBRAO ARJUN HON — Appellant Vs. RAOSAHEB S/O KASHINATH HON AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Surya Kant and Abhay S. Oka, JJ.…

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