[2012] 2 S.C.R. 427

H.P.HOUSING & URBAN DEVT.AUTH.& ANR v.

RANJIT SINGH RANA (Civil Appeal No. 2751 of2012).

MARCH 12, 2012.

[R.M. LODHA AND H.L. GOKHALE, JJ.]

ARBITRATION AND CONCILIATION ACT, 1996:

s.31(7)(b) - Liability to pay interest for the post-award c period - Held: The deposit of the award amount into the court is nothing but a payment to the credit of the decree-holder -

Once the award amount was deposited into the court on a particular date, the liability of post-award interest would cease from that date. o

During the pendency of the objections uls 34(3) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, against the award dated 14.2.2001, the appellants on 24.5.2001, deposited before the Hig~ Court the entire amount due under the award. The objections were rejected and the E appellant filed an intra-court appeal. While the appeal was still pending, the respondent, on 12.8.2008, filed an execution petition. The High Court held that the respondent was entitled to post award interest @18% p.a. from the date of the award till the date of the actual F payment.

In the instant appeal, the question for consideration before the Court was: whether the deposit of the entire award amount by the appellants on 24.5.2001 into the G High Court amounted to payment to the respondent and the appellants' liability to pay interest@ 18% p.a. from the date of the award ceased from that date.

Partly allowing the appeal, the Court 427 H

A HELD: 1. The parties are ad idem that the arbitrator has not exercised any discretion in the matter pertaining to the interest for the post-award period. Obviously, in absence thereof, by virtue of s. 31(7)(b) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 the award would carry interest B @ 18% p.a. from the date of the award till the date of payment. [para 9] [431-C-F]

State of Haryana and others vs. S.L. Arora and Company 2010 (2) SCR 297 = (2010) 3 sec 690 - relied on.

C 2.1 The word 'payment' is not defined in the Act. It may have different meaning in different context but in the context of s. 31(7)(b) of the Act, it means extinguishment of liability arising under the award. It signifies satisfaction of the award. The deposit of the award amount into the D court is nothing but a payment to the credit of the decreeh o Ider. In this view, once the award amount was deposited by the appellants before the High Court on 24.5.2001, the liability of post-award interest from 24.5.2001 ceased. The High Court, thus, was not right in E directing the appellants to pay interest @ 18% p.a. beyond 24.5. 2001. [para 10-11] [431-G-H; 432-B-C]

The Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Tenth Editionrevised); Webster Comprehensive Dictionary (International Edition) Volume two; The Law Laxicon, 2nd Edition reprint by F P. Ramanatha Aiyar, inter alia - referred to.

Case Law Reference:

2010 (2) SCR 297 relied on para 8

G CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 2"151 of 2012.

From the Judgment & Order dated 05.03.2009 of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh at Shimla in CMP No. 678 of 2008 H in Execution Petition No. 6 of 2008.

H.P.HOUSING & URBAN DEVT.AUTH.& ANR v.

RANJIT SINGH RANA

1 Y. Prabhakara Rao for the Appellants.

Binu Tamta, Dhrur Tamta for the Respondent.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

R.M. LODHA, J. 1. Leave granted.

2. Pursuant to the agreement between the parties being agreement No. 11 of 1989-90 concerning construction of residential complex at Shimla, certain disputes arose. As per

the terms of the contract, the Arbitrator was appointed to C adjudicate the claims of the respondent and counter-claims of the appellants. On August 12, 1998, the Arbitrator passed the award. Aggrieved thereby, the appellants filed objections under Section 34(3) of the Arbitrator and Conciliation Act, 1996 (for short "the Act"). The objections were accepted by the High 0 Court to the extent that the reasons were not given by the Arbitrator and, accordingly, the matter was sent back to the Arbitrator for giving reasons in support of the award.

3. After remand, tile Arbitrator considered the matter and passed the award on February 14, 2001. The appellants filed E objections against the award dated February 14, 2001. They also deposited the entire amount due under the award before the High Court on May 24, 2001. The objections filed by the appellants were ultimately rejected by the single Judge of the High Court on February 26, 2008. Against this order, intra-court F appeal is said to be pending. The respondent, however, started execution of the Award dated February 14, 2001 by filing Execution Petition on August 12, 2008. The appellants filed objections to the Execution Petition.

4. The question before the High Court was whether the G respondent was entitled to interest @ 18% p.a. from the date of the award dated February 14, 2001 till the date of actual payment to the respondent.

' '

5. The High Court considered the diverse provisions of the Act including Section 31(7)(a) and (b) of the Act and few decisions of this Court and ultimately held that the respondent was entitled to post-award interest@ 18% p.a. from the date of the award till the date of the actual payment. It is this order B which is in appeal before us.

6. There is no dispute that the entire amount due under the Award dated February 14, 2001 was deposited by the appellants before the High Court on May 24, 2001. The C question that arises for determination before us is, whether deposit of the entire award amount by the appellants on May 24, 2001 into the High Court amounts to payment to the respondent and the appellants liability to pay interest @ 18% p.a. from the date of the award ceased from that date.

7. Section 31 (7)(a) and (b) of the Act reads as under:

"31 (7) (a) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, where and in so far as an arbitral award is for the payment of money, the arbitral tribunal may include in the sum for which the award is made interest, at such rate as it deems reasonable, on the whole or any part of the money, for the whole or any part of the period between the date on which the cause of action arose and the date on which the award is made.

(b) A sum directed to be paid by an arbitral award shall, unless the award otherwise directs, carry interest at the rate of eighteen per centum per annum from the date of the award to the date of payment."

8. The above provision has been recently considered by this Court in State of Haryana and others vs. S.L. Arora and Company (2010)3 SCC 690. This Court held as under:

" ........ In a nutshell, in regard to pre-award period, interest has to be awarded as specified in the contract and in the

H.P.HOUSING & URBAN DEVT.AUTH.& ANR v. 431

RANJIT SINGH RANA [R.M. LODHA, J.]

absence of contract, as per discretion of the Arbitral A Tribunal. On the other hand, in retard to the post-award period, interest is payable as per the discretion of the Arbitral Tribunal and in the absence of exercise of sucti discretion, at a mandatory statutory rate of 18% per annum." B

This Court further observed in para 24.6 as under:

" ......... but if the award is silent in regard to the interest from the date of award, or does not specify th.e rate of interest from the date of award, then the party in whose favour an C award for money has been made, will be entitled to interest at 18% per annum from the date of award. He may claim the said amount in execution even though there is no reference to any post-award interest in the award. Even if the pre-award interest is at much lower rate, if the award D is silent in regard to post-award interest, the claimant will be entitled to post-award interest at the higher rate of 18%. per annum.

9. Learned counsel for the parties are ad idem that the E Arbitrator has not exercised any discretion in the matter pertaining to the interest for the post-award period. Obviously, in absence thereof, by virtue of Section 31 (7)(b) of the Act, the award would carry interest@ 18% p.a. from the date of the award till the date of payment. Whether May 24, 2001 when the entire award amount was deposited by the appellants into the High Court is the date of payment?

10. Payment is not defined in the Act. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Tenth Edition-revised) defines 'payment' '1.

the action of paying or the process of being paid. 2. an amount G paid or payable'. Webster Comprehensive Dictionary (International Edition) Volume two defines 'payment' '1. the act of paying. 2 Pay; requital; recompense.' The Law Laxicon, 2nd Edition reprint by P. Ramanatha Aiyar, inter alia, states 'payment is defined to be the act of paying, or that which is H

A paid; discharge of a debt, obligation or duty; satisfaction of

claim; recompense; the fulfillment of a promise or the performance of an agreement; the discharge in money of a sum due.'

11. The word 'payment' may have different meaning in different context but in the context of Section 37(1 )(b); it means extinguishment of liability arising under the award. It signifies satisfaction of the award. The deposit of the award amount into the Court is nothing but a payment to the credit of the decree- C holder. In this view, once the award amount was deposited by the appellants before the High Court on May 24, 2001, the liability of post-award interest from May 24, 2001 ceased. The High Court, thus, was not right in directing the appellants to pay the interest @ 18% p.a. beyond May 24, 2001.

12. The appeal is, accordingly, allowed in part. The impugned order of the High Court is modified and it is directed that the appellants shall be liable to pay interest @ 18% p.a. for the post-award period from the date of award until May 24,

2001. After May 24, 2001, the appellants are not liable to pay E any interest on the award amount under Section 37(1 )(b) of the Act.

13. We are informed by Mr. Y. Prabhakara Rao, learned counsel for the appellants that the amount as per the impugned order dated March 5, 2009 was deposited by the appellants F which has been withdrawn by the respondent. In light of this, we observe that the High Court shall now re-determine the amount due and payable to the respondent under the award and the post-award interest as indicated above. The excess amount, if withdrawn by the respondent shall be refunded to the G appellants within two months of re-determination by the High Court.

14. No costs.

H R.P: Appeal partly allowed.