K.V. MOHAMMED ZAKIRversusREGIONAL SPORTS CENTRE

                   (2009] 14 (ADDL.) S.C.R. 554


A                       K.V. MOHAMMED ZAKIR                                  •,
                                   v.
                     REGIONAL SPORTS CENTRE
                    (Civil Appeal No. 2506 of 2004)

                         SEPTEMBER 16, 2009
B
            [MARKANDEY KATJU AND ASOK KUMAR
                      GANGULY, JJ.]

         ARBITRATION:
c
          Award by arbitrator - Power of-eourt to interfere with -
     Order of trial ,court making the award rule of the court - Appeal
     against- High Court setting aside a part of the !JWard whereby
    arbitrator awarded a certain amount as coqrpensation to
D
    contractor for Loss caused to him by way of gain prevented or
    loss of profit because of delayed suppiy of material and
                                                                            ~     .....
    drawings to him by employer - Held: The ~ettled position in
     law is that court should not substitute its Olfl'n view for the view

                  --
     taken by the ·arbitrator while dealing with the proceedings for
     setting aside an award - It is equally well settled, where the
E arbitrator acts within jurisdiction, 'the reasonableness of the
    reasons' given by the arbitrator is not open to scrutiny by
  ! courts - However, if the reasons are such as no person of               "'
  · ordinary prudence can ever approve of them or if the reasons
    are so 'outrageous in their defiance ()f logic' that the¥ shock
F the conscience of the court, then it is a different situation, and
    in an appropriate case court may interfere - However, the
    degree of such unreasonableness must be greater than the
    standard in a certiorari proceeding - In the instant case,
    arbitrator has reached a finding of fact on the materials on
G record about the delay on the part of the employer and that                .,
    because of such delay the claimant was put in great difficulty
    in completing the work. in time - It is nobody's case that by
    doing so the arbitrator has acted beyond his jurisdiction or
    committed any legal misconduct -. Therefore, there is no
H                                    554
        K.V. MOHAMMED ZAKIR v. REGIONAL SPORTS                  555
                       CENTRE

    reason to interfere with the award of the arbitrator, and the      A
    same is upheld.

        CIVIL AP PELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No.
    2506 of 2004.
        From the Judgment & Order dated 13.11.2002 of the High         B
    Court of Kerala at Ernakulam in Misc. First Appeal No. 821 of
    1992.
          B. Vijayalakshmi Menon, Ekta Kapila and Sadhanshu Goil
    for the Appellant.                                                 C
        C.N. Sree Kumar, P.R. Nayak and D. Parashar for the
    Respondent.
         The following Order of the Court was delivered by
                                                                       D
                                ORDER

         1. Heard counsel for the parties.
          2. This appeal has been filed impugning the judgment of
    the Division Bench of the Kerala High Court dated 13/11/2002 , E
    whereby the learned Judges of the High Court, on an appeal
"   by the respondent from a judgment by the Subordinate Judge, .
    Ernakulam dated 1/1 /1991, were pleased to disallow part of
    the claims which were granted in favour of the appellant by the
    arbitrator. The relevant facts of the case are as under.        F
                   .                                       .

         3. Tender was submitted by the claimant which was
    accepted by the respondent. An agreement dated 20/11 /1986
    was executed. In terms of the agreement, the work was to be
    completed within 12 months, i.e. within 19/11/1987. Work could     G .
    not be completed by that time and the case of the claimant-
    appellant before us is that it could not be completed on account
    of delay on the part of the respondent in the supply of cement
    and steel, and also the delay in making available the drawings
    and for various other factors. The matter was referred to the
                                                                       H
    556    SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2009] 14 (ADDL.) S.C.R.
                                                                                  <C"""


                                                                                   '
A   arbitration of a Sole Arbitrator who was a retired Judge of         \.-

    Kerala High Court.

       4. Claims and counter claims were raised before the
  arbitrator. After examining the rival contentions, the arbitrator
  gave an award dated 16/03/1990 for an amount of
B Rs.19,51,334.25 with interest at the rate of 10% on
  Rs.18,86, 700.23, the principal amount, from the date of award
  to the date of decree. The claimant then applied for making the
                                                                        ~-
  award into 'rule of the Court' and vide order dated 1/1 /1991,
  the Ill Additional Sub-Judge, Ernakulam passed an order
c making the award 'rule of the Court'.

        5. Challenging the same: an appeal was filed before the
  High Court by the respondent herein. In the said appeal,
  Division Bench of the High Court was pleased, inter alia, to
                                                                              r
D hold that the claimant-appellant is not entitled to receive from      t
  the respondent an amount of Rs.3,63,344/- as compensation
  for the loss caused to the appellant by way of gains prevented
  or loss of profit. In other words it is a loss of profit of 15% of
  the cost of work. Learned Judges held that it is difficult to
  accept the reasoning of the arbitrator in granting the aforesaid
E
  part of the award of the arbitrator and, therefore, the learned
  Judges were pleased to set aside the award with regard to             ~

  claim No.II. With the rest of the award, learned Judges,                        "'
  however; did not interfere.

F        6. We have heard counsel for the parties and we have
  perused the award. The award runs into considerable detail as
  it is a speaking award. While dealing with this part of the claim,
  the arbitrator in paragraph 5.11, 5.12 and 5.13 of the award
  has given detailed reasons. We are of the view that the settled
G position in law is that Court should not substitute its own view
  for the view taken by the arbitrator while dealing with the
  proceedings for setting aside an award. It is equally well settled,
  where the arbitrator acts within jurisdiction, 'the reasonableness
  of the reasons' given by the arbitrator is not open to scrutiny
H by Courts. However, if the reasons are such as no person of
           K.V. MOHAMMED ZAKIR v. REGIONAL SPORTS                 557
                          CENTRE

    ordinary prudence can ever approve of them or if the reasons         A
    are so 'outrageous in their defiance of logic' that they shock the
    conscience of the Court, then it is a different situation. And in
    an appropriate case the Court may interfere. However, the
    degree of such unreasonableness must be greater than the
    standard in a certiorari proceeding. We find that the arbitrator     B
    in this case has reached a finding of fact on the materials on
    record about the delay on the part of the respondent and it has
    also been held by the arbitrator that because of such delay the
    claimant was put in great difficulty in completing the work in
    time. It is nobody's case that by doing so the arbitrator has        C
    acted beyond his jurisdiction or committed any legal
    misconduct.

         7. We, therefore, see no reason to interfere with the award
    of the arbitrator. We, accordingly, set aside the judgment of the
                                                                         0
t   High Court and uphold the award of the arbitrator. Appeal is
    allowed to the extent indicated above. No order as to costs.

    R.P.                                            Appeal allowed.