INDIAN TRIATHLON FEDERATIONRYAND ANR. ETC.versusPONDY TRIATHLON ASSOCIATION AND ORS. ETC.
- Citation
- 1997 INSC 23
- Decided
- 13 January 1997
- Disposal
- Disposed off
Holding
The civil court retains jurisdiction to decide the appeal on its merits and the matter cannot be transferred to the Arbitration Board; the arbitral award may be admitted as evidence under the CPC.
Summary
The Supreme Court dismissed a Special Leave Petition filed by the Indian Triathlon Federation against an order of the Assistant Judge, City Civil Court, Madras, as the petition was withdrawn. The Court also dismissed a transfer petition seeking to move the appeal from the City Civil Court to the Arbitration Board under Rule 19 of the Indian Olympic Association Rules. It held that the civil court has jurisdiction to decide the appeal on its merits and cannot be compelled to transfer the matter to the arbitrators. The Court directed that any arbitral award should be placed before the Principal Judge as additional evidence under Order XLI, Rule 27 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. The parties were allowed to raise further contentions without amending pleadings, and the civil court was instructed to dispose of the dispute in light of the award and applicable law.
Issues considered
- Whether the Supreme Court should entertain a Special Leave Petition when the appeal is already pending before the Principal Judge of the City Civil Court.
- Whether the appeal pending in the City Civil Court can be transferred to the Arbitration Board under Rule 19 of the Indian Olympic Association Rules.
- Whether the civil court has jurisdiction to decide the correctness of a declaratory decree in a dispute referred to arbitration.
Legislation cited
- Code of Civil Procedure, 1908s. Order XLI, Rule 27
- Constitution of Indias. Article 136, s. Article 139A(1)(2)
Subjects
Judgment
--r.
INDIAN TRIATHLON FEDERATIONRYAND ANR. ETC. A
" v.
PONDY TRIATHLON ASSOCIATION AND ORS. ETC.
"'"'
JANUARY 13, 1997
[K. RAMASWAMY AND G.T. NANAVATI, JJ.] B
. .x
Constitution of India, 1950: Article 136-Special Leave Petition-Filed
directly against the order of Assistant Judge City Civil Corm-Thereafter ap-
pea/filed before P1incipal Judge, City Civil Court-Held in such circumstance
. question. of granting leave and consideling the matter on merit does. not c
alise--Accordi11gly special leave petition dismissed as withdrawn .
"""
India Olympic Association Rules : Rule 19.
Dispute as to membership, disqualification etc.-Dispute refe1red to
-+' Arbitrator under the Rules--Therefore the appeal pending in the City Civil D
Court, Madras cannot be ordered to be transfen·ed to the Arbitration Board
as it has no julisdiction to decide the correctness of the declaratory
decree-Instead, the Principal Judge, City Civil Court, Madras should dispose
of the appeal 011 merits-The 'award shall be placed before the principal Judge
to be taken on record in the pending appeal as additional evidence.
E
CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION: Transfer Petition (C) No. 794
of 1996. Etc.
...-\' Under Article 139A{l)/{2) of the Constitution of India.
F
R.K. Jain, Manoj Goel, Brij Bhushan, Ms. Abha R. Sharma for the
Petitioners.
R.F. Nariman, Rajan Romani, R.N. Karanjawala, Ms. Karanjawala,
Ms. Ruby Ahuja, Ranjit Kumar, Yatish Mohan and Ms. Anu Mohla for
the Respondents. G
The following Order of the Court was delivered :
T.P. (C) 749/96.
The transfer petition is dismissed as withdrawn. H
229
230 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1997] 1 S.C.R.
l
A SLP (C) No. 1527 of 1997.
This petition seeking leave of this Court to file appeal hits been filed
directly against the order dated March 5, 1996 passed by the First Assistant
Judge, City Civil Court, Madras in Original Suit No. 540 of 1996. We are
infor'!led that ap appeal against the decree has already been filed before
B the Principal Judge, City Civil Court, Madras. Under these circumstances,
the question of granting leave and considering the matter on merits by this
Court does not now survive. Learned counsel seeks to withdraw the special
leave petition.
C The special leave petition, under the circumstances, is dismissed as
withdrawn.
T.P. (C) 13/97.
In relation to the dispute as ~o the membership disqualification etc.
D by our order dated November 8, 1996 all the disputes were referred to the
arbitrators in terms of Rule 19 of the Indian Olympics Association Rules .
extracted in that order. Putllllilnt thereto, the disputes stood referred to the
arbitrators. Under the circumstances, the appeal bearing S.R. No. 47145 of
1996 pending in the City Civil Co~t, Madras cannot be ordered to be
E transferred to the Arbitration Board as it has no jurisdiction to decide the
correctness of the declaratory decree. Instead, the Principal Judge, City
Civil Court, Madras should dispose of the Appeal on merits. We think that
the appropriate procedure would be that a:: ~oon as the arbitrators decide
the dispute, the award shall be placed before the Principal Judge, City Civil
Court, Madras to be taken on record in the pending appeal as additional
F evidence under Order XLI, Rule 27 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
It would be open to the parties to raise all their contentions de hors the
amendment of their pleadings and ·the Principal Judge is directed to
consider and dispose of the disputes in the light of the arbitrator's decision
or any other contentions raised by the parties in accordance with law.
G The transfer petition is disposed of accordingly.
T.N.A. Petition disposed of.
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