UNION OF INDIA Vs. S NARAYAN AND SONS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Present petition has been filed under Section 34 of Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (hereinafter referred to as "Act, 1996") challenging the arbitral Award dated 27th June, 2002 and the Corrigendum dated 5th July, 2002 passed by the Sole Arbitrator, Mr. B.L. Nishad, Joint Secretary and Legal Adviser, Ministry of Law, Justice & Company Affairs.

(2.) At the outset, Mr. Shiv Khorana, learned counsel for respondent- claimant stated that two contracts had been awarded at the same time to two contractors for printing of Sainik Samachar, a weekly magazine floated by petitioner-UOI. While the first contract was awarded to Samrat Press, the second contract was awarded to present respondent- claimant. He pointed out that both Samrat Press and present respondent-firm were owned by the same family. He also stated that both the contracts were executed simultaneously.

(3.) Mr. Khorana stated that as correspondence and disputes in both the contracts were similar, they were referred to Mr. B.L. Nishad, Sole Arbitrator, who rendered similar awards in both the contracts on the same date, namely, 27th June, 2002.