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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)

Decided on : 05-12-2019 – [Section 197 CrPC] No Protection Of Sanction Where The Acts Are Performed Using The Public Office As A Mere Cloak For Unlawful Gains HELD “The High Court was also not justified in observing ‘that the protection available to a public servant while in service, should also be available after his retirement’.”

[Section 197 CrPC] No Protection Of Sanction Where The Acts Are Performed Using The Public Office As A Mere Cloak For Unlawful Gains [Read Judgment] BY: ASHOK KINI8 Dec 2019…

Decided on : 05-12-2019 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Sections 120B, 302, 201, 34 – Arms Act, 1959 – Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 – Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) – Sections 223, 227, 228 and 391 – Evidence Act, 1872 – Sections 8 and 10 – After the commission of the crime, accused absconded and did not join the investigation – Prosecution has made out a strong prima facie case and the materials on record are sufficient to frame charges against accused.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH STATE OF NCT OF DELHI — Appellant Vs. SHIV CHARAN BANSAL AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Indu Malhotra and R. Subhash Reddy,…

Decided on : 05-12-2019 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) – Sections 161 and 439 – Penal Code, 1908 (IPC) – Sections 147, 148, 149, 302 and 397 – Murder – Common intention – Bail granted by High Court – Appeal against – Merely recording “having perused the record” and “on the facts and circumstances of the case” does not sub-serve the purpose of a reasoned judicial order.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MAHIPAL — Appellant Vs. RAJESH KUMAR @ POLIA AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : Dr Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and Hrishikesh Roy, JJ. )…

Service Matters

Decided on : 05-12-2019 – Denial of voluntary retirement does not mitigate the legal consequences that flow from resignation – Denial of voluntary retirement cannot be invoked before this Court to claim pensionary benefits when the first respondent has admittedly resigned. Even if the first respondent had served twenty years, under Rule 26 of the CCS Pension Rules his past service stands forfeited upon resignation.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH BSES YAMUNA POWER LTD.— Appellant Vs. SH. GHANSHYAM CHAND SHARMA AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : Dr Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and Hrishikesh Roy,…

Service Matters

Decided on : 06-12-2019 – Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam Subordinate Engineering Service Regulations, 1978 – Regulations 16(2), 17, 18, 20 and 23 – Appointment – Determination of Seniority – Method of giving appointment to the senior most person of each category is only a fortuitus circumstance as such appointments were made dehors the merit.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DHARMENDRA PRASAD AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. SUNIL KUMAR AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : L. Nageswara Rao and Hemant Gupta, JJ. )…

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