TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2019 (9) TMI 959
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....is the financial institution and the appellant advanced a loan of Rs. 50,00,000/- to respondent No.1 and respondent Nos.2, 4 and 5 to 8 were the guarantors in respect of such loan. The loan was secured by a mortgage with deposit of title deeds and respondent No.1 is also said to have executed a demand promissory note for repayment of the loan. There was an arbitration clause in the agreement to resolve dispute between the parties. It is alleged that the first respondent did not repay the loan and failed to discharge the liabilities arising out of the transaction. The dispute between the appellant and the first respondent was referred to arbitration to the third respondent-Arbitrator. Before the arbitrator, both the parties adduced oral and documentary evidence. The arbitrator passed an award dated 15.12.2007 and directed the respondents to pay an amount of Rs. 63,82,802/- with interest on Rs. 50,00,000/- at 14% per annum from 11.08.2000 and cost of Rs. 52,959/-. 5. Assailing the award, respondent No.1 filed AS No.1 of 2008 under Section 34 of the Act in the Court of District Judge at Mangalore. Before the District Judge, respondent Nos.1 and 2 filed an application under Section ....
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....s produced before the arbitrator and there is no scope for adducing fresh evidence before the court in the proceedings under Section 34 of the Act. The learned counsel submitted that the High Court, in the present case, misread the ratio of the decision of the Supreme Court in Fiza Developers. It was inter alia urged that in any event, in the present case, respondent Nos.1 and 2 did not make out any exceptional grounds for permission to lead fresh evidence in the proceedings under Section 34 of the Act and the learned District Judge rightly rejected the application filed by respondent Nos.1 and 2 for permission to lead evidence. The learned counsel urged that the High Court erred in interfering with the order passed by the trial court in interlocutory application. 8. Reiterating the findings of the impugned judgment of the High Court, Ms. E.R. Sumathy, learned counsel appearing for respondent Nos.1 and 2 submitted that in order to prove the grounds stated in the application filed under Section 34 of the Act adducing additional evidence is necessary. It was submitted that respondent Nos.1 and 2 sought to adduce evidence to prove the grounds enumerated under Section 34(2) (a) of t....
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.... of the Act. The court held that framing of issues as contemplated under Order XIV Rule 1 CPC is not required in an application under Section 34 of the Act which proceeding is summary in nature. In paras (14), (17), (21) and (24) of Fiza Developers, it was held as under:- "14. In a summary proceeding, the respondent is given an opportunity to file his objections or written statement. Thereafter, the court will permit the parties to file affidavits in proof of their respective stands, and if necessary permit cross-examination by the other side, before hearing arguments. Framing of issues in such proceedings is not necessary. We hasten to add that when it is said issues are not necessary, it does not mean that evidence is not necessary. ........ 17. The scheme and provisions of the Act disclose two significant aspects relating to courts vis-à-vis arbitration. The first is that there should be minimal interference by courts in matters relating to arbitration. Second is the sense of urgency shown with reference to arbitration matters brought to court, requiring promptness in disposal. .......... 21. We may therefore examine the questi....
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....ection 34(2)(a) of the Act. 14. After the decision in Fiza Developers, Section 34 was amended by Act 3 of 2016 by which sub-sections (5) and (6) of Section 34 were added to the Principal Act w.e.f. 23.10.2015. Sub-sections (5) and (6) to Section 34 of the Act read as under:- "34. Application for setting aside arbitral award.- (1)-(4) ........ (5) An application under this section shall be filed by a party only after issuing a prior notice to the other party and such application shall be accompanied by an affidavit by the applicant endorsing compliance with the said requirement. (6) An application under this section shall be disposed of expeditiously, and in any event, within a period of one year from the date on which the notice referred to in sub-section (5) is served upon the other party." 15. The judgment in Fiza Developers was considered by Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee which reviewed the institutionalisation of the arbitration mechanism and pointed out that opportunity to furnish proof in proceedings under Section 34 of the Arbitration Act has led to inconsistent practices. The said Committee reported as under:- "5. Amendm....
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....evidence taken in a summary proceeding under Section 34, this object will be defeated. It is also on the cards that if Bill No. 100 of 2018 is passed, then evidence at the stage of a Section 34 application will be dispensed with altogether. Given the current state of the law, we are of the view that the two early Delhi High Court judgments in Sandeep Kumar v. Ashok Hans 2004 SCC OnLine Del 106, Sial Bioenergie v. SBEC Systems 2004 SCC OnLine Del 863, cited by us hereinabove, correctly reflect the position in law as to furnishing proof under Section 34(2)(a). So does the Calcutta High Court judgment in WEB Techniques and Net Solutions (P) Ltd. v. Gati Ltd. 2012 SCC OnLine Cal 4271. We may hasten to add that if the procedure followed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment in Punjab SIDC Ltd. v. Sunil K. Kansal 2012 SCC Online P&H 19641 is to be adhered to, the time-limit of one year would only be observed in most cases in the breach. We therefore overrule the said decision. We are constrained to observe that Fiza Developers was a step in the right direction as its ultimate ratio is that issues need not be struck at the stage of hearing a Section 34 application, which is a summ....
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.... No.1 filed her written statement and other respondents also filed separate written statements. It was contended that the documents were forged. Both parties adduced oral and documentary evidence. The appellant led evidence by examining two witnesses Balakrishna Nayak (PW-1) and B.A. Baliga (PW-2) and exhibited documents P1 to P47. Respondent Nos.1 and 2 also examined five witnesses viz. M. Shashikala (RW-1), Mamatha @ Mumtaz Hameed (RW- 2), Latha (RW-3), Chitralekha Umesh (RW-4) and B.R. Nagesh (RW-5). Respondent Nos.1 and 2 also produced documentary evidence Ex.-R1 to R13. As held by the District Judge, the grounds urged in the application can very well be considered by the evidence adduced in the arbitration proceedings and considering the arbitral award. Further, the application filed by respondent Nos.1 and 2 seeking permission to adduce evidence, no ground was made out as to the necessity of adducing evidence and what was the nature of the evidence sought to be led by respondent Nos.1 and 2. The proceedings under Section 34 of the Act are summary proceedings and is not in the nature of a regular suit. By adding sub-sections (5) and (6) to Section 34 of the Act, the Act has sp....