PETINE SHIPPING INC. OF MONROVIAversusTHE MINERALS AND METAL TRADING CORPORATION OF INDIA LTD.

                                     [2009] 6 S.C.R. 551

                          PETINE SHIPPING INC. OF MONROVIA                          A
                                               v.
                   THE MINERALS AND METAL TRADING CORPORATION
                                     OF INDIA LTD.
                            (Civil Appeal No. 2627 of 2009)
                                                                                    B
                                       APRIL 17, 2009
                      [TARUN CHATIERJEE AND H.L. DATIU, JJ.]
     #

                      Arbitration Act, 1940- s. 31(4) -Applicability of- Petition
                 before Delhi High Court for declaration that nomination of         c
                 arbitrator was valid - Dismissed as infructuous on account of
                 death of arbitrator - Later, on the question of appointment of
                 Umpire, petition before Bombay High Court - Dismissed on
                 the ground of lack of jurisdiction holding ,that since previous
                 application filed before Delhi High Court, that court alone had    D
                 the jurisdiction - On appeal, held : Rejection of petition on
                 account of lack of jurisdiction not correct - s. 31(4) is
                 applicable to "application in a reference" - Application made
                 before Delhi High Court cannot be said to be a reference
                 made u/s. 31(4) - The court did not retain any control over        E
                 the proceedings and also gave no directions nor appointed
                 any arbitrator - Cause of action also arose before Bombay
                 High Court - Jurisdiction.
                                                    -
                      Appellant and respondent entered into a Charter
                 Party Contract. On dispute, as per arbitration clause, both        F
               . the parties nominated arbitrators of their choice.
                 Appellant objected to the nomination of arbitrator, as
                 done by the respondent. Respondent field a petition
                 before Delhi High Court for declaration that the
                 nomination of arbitrator was valid. The petition was               G
         Jo      dismissed as infructuous on account of the death of
                 nominated arbitrator. Later, regarding dispute on the
                 question of appointment of umpire, petition was filed
''               before Bombay High Court. High Court dismissed the
              --                              551                                   H
    552      SUPREME COURT REPORTS              [2009] 6 S. C.R.


A petition holding that in view of s. 31(4) of Arbitration Act,
  1940, since the arbitration proceedings had already been
  initiated with Delhi High Court, future proceedings were
  to be decided by the same court, and thus, Bombay High
  Court lacked jurisdiction to decide the same. Hence the
B present appeal.

          Allowing the appeal, the Court

       HELD:1. The main object of Section 31 of the
  Arbitration Act is to invest a single court with the
C exclusive jurisdiction to decide all questions relating to
  the matter of arbitration; this object is achieved by the
  combined operation of all its sub-sections. The words
  "application in a reference" used in sub-section (4)
  should therefore, be related back to sub-sections (2) and
D (3) and all applications regarding the conduct of
  arbitration proceedings or arising out of such
  proceedings or in which the court has to decide
  questions regarding the validity, effect, or existence of an
  award or an arbitration agreement between the parties to
E the agreement, should be treated as 'application in a
  reference". [Para 12) [556-G, H; 557-A]

       2. Although an application was filed before the Delhi
  High Court, but it did not retain any control over the said
  proceedings of the arbitrator. Delhi High Court neither          •
F gave any directions nor did it appoint an Arbitrator in the
  adjudication of the said application. Also respondent did
  not file any application regarding appointment of another
  arbitrator in Delhi High Court. Thus, the application filed
  before Delhi High Court cannot be said to be a reference
G made under Section 31(4) of the Act. [Paras 15 and 17)
  [558-E; 558-C; 558-F]

         Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. v. Annapurna Construction, 2008
    (6) sec 732, relied on.
H
<             PETINE SHIPPING INC. OF MONROVIA v. MINERALS AND 553
                    METAL TRADING CORPN. OF INDIA LTD .
         •         State of M.P. v. Saith and Skelton (P) Ltd. 1972 (1) SCC   A
              702, distinguished.

                   3. Under the agreement, in the instant case,
              respondent has chosen Mumbai as the port of delivery


-·   I
              and the vessel carrying the Rock Phosphate was
              delivered at the port of Bombay. Therefore it cannot be
              denied that Bombay High Court had the jurisdiction in the
              arbitration petition filed before it, as the goods were
                                                                              B



              delivered at the Port of Bombay. Therefore, the High
              Court of Bombay is not correct in rejecting the arbitration
              petition on the ground of lack of jurisdiction. [Paras 18,
                                                                              c
              19] [558-G, HJ
                                    Case Law Reference:

                   1s12 (1) sec 102        distinguished         Para 14
                                                                              D
                   2008 (6) sec 132        relied on             Para 16

                  CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No.
              2627 of 2009.

                   From the Judgment & Order dated 07.01.2008 of the High     E
              Court of Judicature at Bombay in Appeal No. 132 of 2000 in
              Arbitration Petition No. 313 of 1999.

     •         -  Gcurab Bannerjee, E:.R. Kumar, T.M. Singh, Rukhmini
              Bobde (for Parekh & Co.) for the Appellant(s).                  F
                   Jay Savla and Arundhati Das, for theRespondent(s).

                   The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

                   H.L. DATTU, J. 1. Leave granted.                           G
         li
                  2. This appeal is directed against the orders passed by
              the High Court of Judicature at Bombay in Appeal No. 132 of
              2000 in A. P. No. 313-of 1999 dated 26.4.2007. By the
              impugned judgment, the Division Bench has held that in the
                                                                              H
    554     SUPREME COURT REPORTS                  [2009] 6 S.C.R.
                                                                           •
A reference, an application was admittedly made to Delhi High
  Court and therefore, it would not only be in accordance with law,
  but will also be proper for the parties to approach the same
  court.

8
        3. The facts leading to this Special Leave Petition are: the
  appellant is a Liberian Shipping Company carrying on business
  through their protecting agents M/s. G.A.C. Shipping India Ltd.
  The respondent is a government company, which by charter
  party dated 2.6.1989 chartered the appellants vessel M.V.
                                                                           -
  Animar to carry Rock Phosphate from Togo to West Coast India.
C The respondent chose Mumbai as the port of delivery. The
  dispute resolution clause of the charter party provided that each
  party may appoint one arbitrator, who in the event of
  disagreement shall appoint an umpire, whose decision shall be
  final. The arbitrators and the umpire were required to be
D commercial men.

        4. When a dispute arose in 1990, the appellant vide letter
  dated 29.5.90 nominated Mr. A. K. Khandwala and the
  respondent vide telegram dated 18.6.90 appointed Justice
E Deshpande (Retired Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court). The
  appellant intimated the respondent by letter dated 9.7.90, that
  since their nominee was not a commercial man as required
  under the charter party clause; Mr. Khandwala would be the sole
  arbitrator. The respondent filed Arbitration. Petition before the
F Delhi High Court, for a declaration that their nomination of
  Justice Deshpande as arbitrator was valid. During pendency
  of the said petition, Justice Deshpande expired. Vide letter
  dated 14.8.92, the respondent appointed Mr. K. Parthasarthi,
  as Arbitrator, and on 18.8.92 the petition of the respondent was
G dismissed as having become infructuous. The court has not
  passed any other order in the petition filed by respondent.
                                                                       .
        5. The Arbitrators could not arrive at a unanimous decision
  and they appointed Mr. R. C. Cooper_ as the Umpire. When Mr:
  Cooper sought to proceed with the matter, the respondent inter
H a/ia raised objection as to the validity of the appointment of the
 PETINE SHIPPING INC. OF MONROVIA v. MINERALS AND 555
  METALTRADING CORPN. OF INDIA LTD. [H.L. DATIU, }]

 umpire and the umpire vide letter dated 10.7.95, informed the           A
 parties that it would be prudent to approach the appropriate
 court for orders before proceeding further with the matter.

      6. The appellant moved the High Court of Bombay, inter
 alia with a prayer for conformation/appointment of Mr. Cooper           B
 as Umpire and to enlarge the time for making the award. The
 Single Judge as well as Division Bench in Arbitration Petition
 dismissed the appellant's petition and appeal respectively,
 solely on the ground that in view of Section 31 (4) of the
 Arbitration Act, 1940 and in view of the Arbitration Petition filed
 by the respondent earlier before the Delhi High Court, which            C
 had been dismissed as having become in fructuous; the
 Bombay High Court cannot adjudicate upon the appellant's
 petition. The Division Bench of Bombay High Court has
 observed, that, if the Delhi High Court was one of the courts
 having jurisdiction and if the parties have already approached          D
 that court once, all future applications should also be made to
 that court. Aggrieved by the said order, appellant is before us
 by this special leave petition.

      7. We have heard learned counsel for the parties.                  E

         8. The Learned counsel for the appellant would contend,
  that, the Delhi High Court had dismissed the petition of the
  respondent as having become in fructuous. Merely because an
  application was filed by the respondent before the Delhi High
  Court, this by itself would not make the Delhi High Court the          F
  competent court as envisaged under section 31(4) of the Act
  so as to exclude the Jurisdiction of all courts. Learned Counsel
  would also contend that the Arbitration Petition which has been
  moved by the respondent before the Delhi High Court was not
  an application as envisaged under section 31 (4) of the Act and        G
  thus Delhi High Court did not get conferred with the exclusive
  jurisdiction to entertain all applications pertaining to the present
· arbitration dispute. It is further contended that if this becomes
  the situation, then any party could indulge in forum shopping by
  filling a superficial application before a court and withdrawing       H
    556     SUPREME COURT REPORTS                 [2009] 6 S.C.R.


A the same merely to ensure that all subsequent applications be
  made before that court. In support of his contentions, learned
  Counsel would draw our attention to observations made by this
  Court in the case of Union of India v. Surjeet Singh Atwal,
  (1969) (2) SCC 211 and Mis Guru Nanak Foundation v. Mis
B Ratan Singh and Sons, (1981) (4) SCC 634.
       9. In Union of India v. Surjeet Singh Atwal, (1969) (2) SCC
  211, this Court has held that an application under Section 34
  of the Act (for stay of suit) does not amount to an application
  under Section 31 (4) of the Act and it belongs to a different
C category because such application does not lead to a reference
  to arbitration.

       10. In Mis. Guru Nanak Foundation v. Mis. Ratan Singh
  & Sons, (1981) 4 SCC 634, this Court has observed that even
D though the first Court to be approached by the parties had been .
  the Delhi High Court, since eventually the Supreme Court
  appointed the arbitrator and gave further directions regarding
  the proceedings, it was the Supreme Court which was the
  competent Court under Section 31 (4).
E       11. The only questions which needs our consideration is,
    whether Bombay High Court has the jurisdiction to adjudicate
    upon the Arbitration Petition, where a previous application had
    been filed before the Delhi High Court and subsequently
    dismissed by the same Court as having become in fructuous.
F
       12. The main object of Section 31 of the Arbitration Act is
  to invest a single court with the exclusive jurisdiction to decide
  all questions relating to the matter of arbitration; this object is
  achieved by the combined operation of all its sub-sections. The
G words "application in a reference" used in sub-section (4) should
  therefore, be related back to sub-sections (2) and (3) and all _
  applications regarding the conduct of arbitration proceedings
  or arising out of such proceedings or in which the court has to
  decide questions regarding the validity, effect, or existence of
H an award or an arbitration agreement between the parties to
              PETINE SHIPPING INC. OF MONROVIA v. MINERALS AND 557
               METAL TRADING CORPN. OF INDIA LTD. [H.L. DATIU, J.]
"             the agreement, should be treated as "application in a                   A
              reference".

                    13. The very foundation for the jurisdiction of the court under
              Section 34 is the existence of an arbitration agreement. The
              applicant asserts that there is such an agreement, while the            B
              plaintiff either disputes the existence of such an agreement or
              pleads that it is invalid. Section 33 gives an independent right
,;            to a person who wishes to challenge the existence or validity
              of an arbitration agreement to anticipate the other side and to
              initiate proceedings to have these questions determined
              beforehand. Thus applications under Sections 33 and 34 both
                                                                                      c
              are fundamentally in the matter of arbitration proceedings and
              fall within the purview of Section 31(4) of the Arbitration Act,
              though the former is intended to make an arbitration agreement
              ineffective and the latter effective and neither leads to a
              reference. [See (1971) 1 SCC (Jour) ?OJ                                 D

     '               14. In the case of State of M.P. v. Saith and Skelton (P)
               Ltd., (1972) 1 sec 702, this court has held that the expression
               'court' will have to be understood as defined in Section 2(c) of.
               the Act, only if there is nothing repugnant in the subject or E
               context. It is in that light that the expression 'court' occurring in
               Section 14(2) of the Act will have to be understood and
               interpreted. It was this Court that appointed Shri V.S. Desai,
               on 29c 1-1971 by consent of parties as an arbitrator and to
               make his award. It will be seen that no further directions were F
               given in the said order which will indicate that this Court had
               not divested itself of its jurisdiction to deal with the award or
               matters arising out of the award. In fact the indications are to
               the contrary. The direction in the order dated 29-1-1971 is that
               the arbitrator is 'to make his award'. Surely the law G
               contemplates further steps to be taken after the award has been
         •     made, and quite naturally the forum for taking the further action
             . is only this Court. There was also direction to the effect that the
               parties are at liberty to apply f9r extension of time for making
               the award. In the absence of any other court having been
                                                                                     H
     558     SUPREME COURT REPORTS                  [2009) 6 S.C.R.
                                                                            )I


A invested with such jurisdiction by the order, the only conclusion
  that is possible is that such a request must be made only to
  the court which passed that order, namely, this Court.

        15. Unlike in the present case where an application was
B filed before the Delhi High Court seeking declaration that
  appointment of Mr. Justice Deshpande as Arbitrator is valid.
  The same application became in fructuous because of the
  demise of Mr. Justice Deshpande and had to be dismissed as
  having become infructuous. The Delhi High Court neither gave
C any directions nor did it appoint an Arbitrator in the adjudication
  of the said application.

       16. In Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. v. Annapurna Construction,
  (2008) 6 sec 732, this court observed that a distinction must
  be borne in mind in a case where this Court had no control over
D the proceedings and the case in which control of proceedings
  of the arbitrator had been retained.

       17. Therefore, in the view taken by this Court in Bharat
  Cooking case, although an application was filed before the
E Gelhi High Court, but it did not retain any control over the said
  proceedings of the arbitrator. Also respondent did not file any
  application regarding appointment of another arbitrator in the
  Delhi High Court. Thus, the application filed before the Delhi
  High Court cannot be said to be a reference made under
F Section 31(4) of the Act."

       18. Under the agreement, respondent has chosen Mumbai
  as the port of delivery and the vessel carrying the Rock
  Phosphate was delivered at the port of Bombay. Therefore it
  cannot be denied that Bombay High Court had the jurisdiction
G in the Arbitration Petition filed before it, as the goods were
  delivered at the Port of Bombay.
                                                                        .
       19. Therefore, the High Court of Bombay, in our view, is
  not correct in rejecting the Arbitration Petition on the ground of
H lack of jurisdiction.
PETINE SHIPPING INC. OF MONROVIA v. MINERALS AND 559
 METAL TRADING CORPN. OF INDIA LTD. [H.L. DATTU, J.]
     20. In view of the above discussion, the appeal is allowed.   A
The impugned order passed by the High Court is set aside.
The application filed under Section 28 of the Arbitration Act,
1940 for extension of time for making the Award is restored
on the Board of the Bombay High Court. The court is requested
to consider the application on merits as early as possible at      B
any rate within an outer limit of six months from the date of
receipt of the orders. No order as to costs.

K.K.T.                                        Appeal allowed.