SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
VAIDYA HARISHANKAR LAX MIRAM RAJYAGURU OF RAJKOT
Versus
PRATAPRAY HARISHANKAR RAJYAGURU OF RAJKOT
Decided on, April 13, 1988
Constitution of India, 1950 - Article 136 - Arbitration Act – Section 17 - Agreement was in form of letter addressed to arbitrator - Jurisdiction illegally or with material irregularity - Petitioner is father respondent Both of them are established in Rajkot - They come from well to do family - Petitioner is advanced in age and both father and son have been fighting between themselves since more than decade - High court found that petitioner and despondent had referred their disputes to one who had intervened between them with good intention to bring their disputes to an end - He made an award - Award was produced - It appears that award was endorsed and signed by both parties - In award it was stated by arbitrator that he had called both father and son at his residence – Held, In this connectionist may be useful to refer to observations of this court in Seth Kali where this court observed that validity decree could be challenged in execution proceedings only on ground that court which passed decree was lacking in inherent jurisdiction in sense that it could not have seizing sic of case because subject matter was wholly foreign to its jurisdiction or that defendant was dead at time suit had been instituted decree was passed or some such other ground which could have effect of rendering court entirely lacking in jurisdiction in respect subject matter of suit or over parties to it - In this connection reference may be made to observations of this court - Having regard to all these factors court are of view that High court was right in dismissing application in manner it did - In Guru Nanak Foundation Rattan Singh and Sons where this court observed that interminable time consuming complex and expensive court procedures impelled jurists to search for an alternative formless formal more effective and speedy for resolution of disputes avoiding procedural claptrap and this led them to Arbitration Act – However way in which proceedings Act are conducted and without an exception challenged in courts has made lawyers laugh and legal philosophers weep - This court further observed that experience shows and law reports bear ample testimony that proceedings Act have become highly technical accompanied by unending prolixity at every stage providing legal trap unwary - With respect court could not agree more in facts and circumstances of this case – Petition dismissed
Judgment-
SABYASACHI MUKHARJEE, J
( 1 ) THIS is an application for leave to appeal under Article 136 of the Constitution of India from the judgment and order of the High court of Gujarat dated 23/02/1988. By the impugned judgment, the High court has dismissed the civil revision application which challenged the award made in this case.
( 2 ) THE petitioner is the father of the respondent. Both of them are established Vaidyas in Rajkot. They come from a well-to-do family. The petitioner is advanced in age and both the father and the son have been fighting between themselves since more than a decade. The High court found that the petitioner and the respondent had referred their disputes to one Kantibhai Vaidya (Shri Kantilal Dayaram Jani) who had intervened between them with the good intention to bring their disputes to an end. He made an award. The award was produced. It appears that the award was endorsed and signed by both the parties. In the award, it was stated by the arbitrator that he had called both the father and the son at his residence on 18/01/1977. He had discussed the matter with both of them and had warned them that both of them would ruin themselves in the property disputes, if they did not solve the matter amicably. In the award, it \vas stated that the entire responsibility of solving the dispute was entrusted to him and the petitioner and the respondent had agreed to such entrustment. Accordingly. he made the award on 18/01/1977. Below the award, aboth the parties and thearbitrator had signed. The endorsement reads, when translated in English, as found by the High court that the award is agreed to and binding upon both the parties and that the entire responsibility of the arbitrator (sic arbitration) will lie on Shri Kantibhai Vaidya and that he has taken the responsibility. Thereafter followed a spell of litigation. The respondent applied on 20/06/1977 for filing the award and sought the judgment in terms of the award under S. 17 of the Arbitration Act, 1940 (hereinafter called the Act ). A notice consequent upon the filing of the award was issued to the petitioner. The application was converted into Special Civil Suit No. 84 of 1977. It was stated in the application to file the award, that the petitioner had torn off the award and, therefore, the respondent was compelled to rely upon a photocopy of the original award, which was produced with the application. The petitioner filed his objections to the application but did not file any application within the prescribed limitation of 30 days. The learned trial judge rejected the objections filed beyond the period of limitation and for the reasons that (1 the notice was already given to the party concerned about the filing of the award, (2 the time for making an application to set aside the award had expired and no such application was made, (3 the award was not set aside under S. 30, and (4 that the award was not remitted under S. 16 (5 of the Act. The learned trial judge made a decree in terms of the award.
( 3 ) THE petitioner preferred a civil first appeal against the judgment and decree passed in Special Civil Suit No. 84 of 1977 and had also preferred Civil Revision Application No. 655 of 1978. Both these legal proceedings were, however, withdrawn by the petitioner and thus the judgment of the trial court in Special Civil Suit No. 84 of 1977 became final. The High court had recorded that the first appeal and civil revision application were withdrawn in pursuance of an agreement reached between the parties on or about 14/08/1978. A copy of the said agreement was also produced before the court as Ex. 40. Both the parties as well as their respective advocates signed it. The agreement was in the form of a letter addressed to the arbitrator wherein it was stated that both of them had appointed him as an arbitrator to resolve the disputes between them and that he had given an award dated 20/01/1977 in respect of which award, there had been continued objections but n
Login now and unlock free premium legal research
Login to SupremeToday AI and access free legal analysis, AI highlights, and smart tools.
Login
now!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
Copyright © 2023 Vikas Info Solution Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.