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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)

IN RE: PRASHANT BHUSHAN & ANR. …. ALLEGED CONTEMNOR(S) “When the foundation itself is sought to be shaken by acts which tend to create disaffection and disrespect for the authority of the court by creating distrust in its working, the edifice of the judicial system gets eroded. The scurrilous/malicious attacks by the alleged contemnor No.1 are not only against one or two judges but the entire Supreme Court in its functioning of the last six years” HELD we hold alleged contemnor No.1 – Mr. Prashant Bhushan guilty of having committed criminal contempt of this Court.

IN RE: PRASHANT BHUSHAN & ANR. …. ALLEGED CONTEMNOR(S) “In our considered view, the said tweet undermines the dignity and authority of the institution of the Supreme Court of India…

Service Matters

HELD maxim ‘noscitur a socilis’ whereby a word or phrase is not to be construed as if it stood alone but in the light of its surroundings words and particular general words, cannot be read in isolation, their colour and their content are derived from their context . The respondents having less percentage of member ship cannot be termed as ‘distinct category of government servants’. Appeal allowed.

  SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. ISRO DRIVERS ASSOCIATION — Respondent ( Before : Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Ajay Rastogi and Aniruddha…

Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 – Section 21(5) – Permission to resume regular mining operations – Delay in payment of the compensation along with interest is condoned – Applicant permitted to resume mining operations subject to all necessary clearances required in accordance with law being obtained

  SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH COMMON CAUSE — Appellant Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : S.A. Bobde, CJI., A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian,…

The provisions contained in substituted Section 6 of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 confer status of coparcener on the daughter born before or after amendment in the same manner as son with same rights and liabilities.(ii) rights can be claimed by the daughter born earlier with effect from 9.9.2005 subject to Section 6(1) (iii) coparcenary is by birth, it is not necessary that father coparcener should be living as on 9.9.2005.(iv) The provisions of the Section 6 are required to be given full effect. Notwithstanding that a preliminary decree has been passed the daughters are to be given share in coparcenary equal to that of a son  in pending proceedings for final decree or in an appeal. (v) A plea of partition based on oral evidence alone cannot be accepted and to be rejected outrightly. (vi) The daughters cannot be deprived of their right of equality conferred upon them by Section 6.

The provisions contained in substituted Section 6 of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 confer status of coparcener on the daughter born before or after amendment in the same manner as…

HELD “sample being sent and tested 8 months beyond the shelf life of the product in this case. It is thus clear that the valuable right granted by Section 25 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act kicks in on the facts of this case, which would necessarily render any penalty based upon the said analysis of the sample as void.”

A valuable right is granted to a person who is sought to be penalized under these Acts to have a sample tested by the Government Analyst that is found against…

Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966 – Sections 88, 91, 125 and 126 – Deletion of the Public Road from the Town Planning Scheme – HELD land is acquired for the purposes of a Development Scheme, the same vests in the State free from encumbrances – In the absence of any proceedings for acquisition or for purchase, no land belonging to the Appellant Trust could have vested in the State

  SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH HARI KRISHNA MANDIR TRUST — Appellant Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee, JJ.…

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