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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)

Service Matters

Order Convening General Court Martial Can Be Challenged Before AFT, Holds SC HELD Any matter relating to the conditions of service falls within the definition of ‘service matters’ under Section 3 (o) of the Act and can be the subject matter of an application filed before the Tribunal. Therefore, conditions of service also include dismissal from service.

Order Convening General Court Martial Can Be Challenged Before AFT, Holds SC BY: ASHOK KINI 28 Nov 2019 11:09 AM The Supreme Court has held that an order convening a…

Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) – Order 41 Rule 5 – Section 96 and Order 41 – Determination – Recovery of loss – A chart showing the original price as against the resale price, thereby projecting the net loss suffered by the appellant, the correctness of the same cannot be adjudicated in a proceeding of the present nature arising out of a writ proceeding – The matter being contractual and also requiring factual determination

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH ODISHA FOREST DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION — Appellant Vs. M/S ANUPAM TRADERS AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : R. Banumathi, A.S. Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy,…

Service Matters

Assam Public Service Commission (Procedure and Conduct of Business) Rules, 2010 – Rule 29 and Rule 30 – Assam Public Service Commission (Conduct of Business) Procedure, 2019 – Clause 12.2 – Interviews/selection – This Court are persuaded to hold that the recruitment process initiated by the APSC through the advertisement dated 21.12.2018 for the 65 posts of Assistant Engineer (Civil), of the Water Resources Department should be finalised under the 2010 Rules

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH THE ASSAM PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. PRANJAL KUMAR SARMA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : R. Banumathi, A.S. Bopanna…

Service Matters

Service Law – One Man Commission – Revision of pay-scales – The 6th Central Pay Commission comprising of experts in the field had recommended certain pay-scales for various posts – HELD but if further anomalies were found which called for action on part of the Government, any exercise to reconsider the matter by the State Government could not be faulted nor could the constitution of the PGRC (Pay Grievance Redressal Cell) be said to be invalid or illegal –

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH TAMIL NADU RURAL DEVELOPMENT ENGINEERS AND ASSISTANT ENGINEERS ASSOCIATION — Appellant Vs. GOVERNMENT OF TAMIL NADU AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Uday…

Body Corporates Like City Municipal Council/Corporation Can Be Prosecuted U/s 47 Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act HELD “Offences by body corporate like City Municipal Council are covered under Section 49 treating it to be offence as by company as provided in Section 47.”

Body Corporates Like City Municipal Council/Corporation Can Be Prosecuted U/s 47 Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act: SC [Read Judgment] “Offences by body corporate like City Municipal Council are…

SC Strikes Down Section 87 Of Arbitration & Conciliation Act Inserted By 2019 Amendment HELD “The retrospective resurrection of an automatic-stay not only turns the clock backwards contrary to the object of the Arbitration Act, 1996 and the 2015 Amendment Act, but also results in payments already made under the amended Section 36 to award-holders in a situation of no-stay or conditional-stay now being reversed”

SC Strikes Down Section 87 Of Arbitration & Conciliation Act Inserted By 2019 Amendment In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down Section 87 of the Arbitration…

Issue Of Limitation Not To Be Examined While Considering Application Seeking Appointment Of Arbitrator HELD “The issue of limitation is a jurisdictional issue, which would be required to be decided by the arbitrator under Section 16, and not the High Court at the pre¬reference stage under Section 11 of the Act”

Issue Of Limitation Not To Be Examined While Considering Application Seeking Appointment Of Arbitrator: SC [Read Judgment] BY: ASHOK KINI27 Nov 2019 8:35 PM “The issue of limitation is a…

Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 – Sections 7, 13 and 19(1) – Demand of bribe to provide the electricity meter – Conviction and sentence – Appeal against – Recovery of the money from the pocket of the appellant has also been proved without doubt – Money was demanded and accepted not as a legal remuneration but as a motive or reward to provide electricity connection – Appeal dismissed

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH VINOD KUMAR GARG — Appellant Vs. STATE (GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL CAPITAL TERRITORY OF DELHI) — Respondent ( Before : Indu Malhotra and Sanjiv Khanna,…

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