Judgement

PUNCHHI, J.:- Leave granted.

2. These two appeals are directed against the common judgment and order dated January 4, 1990 passed by a learned single Judge of the Kerala High Court at Ernakulam in Civil Revision Petitions Nos. 1520 and 1527 of 1989 (reported in AIR 1990 NOC 132: (1990) 1 Ker LT 245).

3. The facts giving rise thereto are few and meaningful. The respondent filed two suits against the appellants praying under S. 20 of the Arbitration Act (hereinafter referred to as the Act) for an appointment of an arbitrator to resolve the disputes said to have arisen out of contracts inter se. One B. S. Hegde was appointed as an arbitrator. He made awards on October 3, 1988. On that date itself, the arbitrator on his own had given notice to the parties under S. 14 (l) of the making and signing of the awards. The respondent, on October 4, 1988, requested the arbitrator by means of a letter to forward the awards to his counsel for filing the same in the Court. On October 12, 1988, the arbitrator forwarded the awards and the entire record to the advocate of the respondent by a forwarding letter with copy of the letter to the appellant. On October 25, 1988, respondents counsel fi