# Moh•sh Lal v. Busunt Kumaree, I.L.R. (1881) VI Cal. 340, relied on

- **Citation:** [1967] 1 S.C.R. 843
- **Court:** Supreme Court of India
- **Decided:** 1966-10-12
- **Case number:** CIVIL APPELLATE JurusmcnoN : Civil Appeal No. 1109 of 1966
- **Bench:** K. N. Wanchoo, G. K. Mitter
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/moh-sh-lal-v-busunt-kumaree-i-l-r-1881-vi-cal-340-relied-on-3924
- **Pages:** 5

## Headnote

Indian Arbitration Act (10 of 1940),
s. 14(2)-Award-Copy of
award required to be filed in Court-Umpire certifying copy of award 10
be a true copy and then signing award-Such copy whether a 'signed copy'
within meaning of section-',Sign', meaning of.
The appellant entered into a contract with the Union of India for the
construction of certain railway bridges.
On disputes arising the matter
went to arbitration and then to an umpire. After the umpire had made his
award the appellant filed an application under s. 14 of the Indian Arbitra.
tion Act 1940, praying that the umpire be directed to file the award OI' a
signed copy thereof in the terms of s. 14(2). 'l'he umpire filed in the Court
a copy at the top of which he wrote : "now I hereby reproduce a true copy
of the said award which is as follows."
At the end of the copy of the
award he wrote : "Certified as correct copy of the award dated. 27th May
1961." Under this the umpire's signature appeared. It was objected by the
Union of India before the court that the copy of the award so filed was not
a "signed copy" of the award as required by s. 14(2). but only a "certified
copy".. The objection was upheld by the court and the appellants application fur passing a judgment in terms of the award was dismissed. A revision petition before the High Court failed.
The appellant then came to
this Court by special leave.
HELD : When a document is an accuraie or trtl<I and full reproduction
of the original it would be a copy.
In the present case what was produced
by the umpire was a true accurate and full reproduction of the original.
It was therefore a copy of the original. [845 HI
It was also a signed copy because it bore the signature of the umpire.
A document must be signed in such a way as to make it appear that the
person signing it is the author of it, and if that appears it does not matter
what the form of an instrument is, or in what part· of it the signature
occurs. The fact that the umpire wrote the words "certified as correct
copy of the award dated the 27th May 1961" above his signature did not
make any_ difference and the document was still a signed copy of the
award. If anything these words showed that the document filed was a
true copy of the award. [846 D, H; 847 A-Bl
Moh•sh Lal v. Busunt Kumaree, I.L.R. (1881) VI Cal. 340, relied on.
CIVIL APPELLATE JurusmcnoN : Civil Appeal No. 1109 of
1966.
Appeal by special leave from the judilllent and order dated
December 17, 1964 of. the Punjab High Court (Circuit Bench)
at Delhi i_n Civil Revision No. 159-D of 1963.
H
M. C. Setalvad, Veda Vyasa and K. K. Jain, for the appellants.
S. G. Patwardhan, K. L. Hathi and R.H. Dhebar, for the res·
pondent.
844
SUPR.BMB COllllT RBPOR TS
(1967) l S.C.R..

## Text

A
lllNDUSTAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY L'fP.
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v.
UNION OF INDIA
October 12, 1966
[K. N. WANCHOO AND G. K. MITTER, JJ.]
Indian Arbitration Act (10 of 1940),
s. 14(2)-Award-Copy of
award required to be filed in Court-Umpire certifying copy of award 10
be a true copy and then signing award-Such copy whether a 'signed copy'
within meaning of section-',Sign', meaning of.
The appellant entered into a contract with the Union of India for the
construction of certain railway bridges.
On disputes arising the matter
went to arbitration and then to an umpire. After the umpire had made his
award the appellant filed an application under s. 14 of the Indian Arbitra.
tion Act 1940, praying that the umpire be directed to file the award OI' a
signed copy thereof in the terms of s. 14(2). 'l'he umpire filed in the Court
a copy at the top of which he wrote : "now I hereby reproduce a true copy
of the said award which is as follows."
At the end of the copy of the
award he wrote : "Certified as correct copy of the award dated. 27th May
1961." Under this the umpire's signature appeared. It was objected by the
Union of India before the court that the copy of the award so filed was not
a "signed copy" of the award as required by s. 14(2). but only a "certified
copy".. The objection was upheld by the court and the appellants application fur passing a judgment in terms of the award was dismissed. A revision petition before the High Court failed.
The appellant then came to
this Court by special leave.
HELD : When a document is an accuraie or trtl<I and full reproduction
of the original it would be a copy.
In the present case what was produced
by the umpire was a true accurate and full reproduction of the original.
It was therefore a copy of the original. [845 HI
It was also a signed copy because it bore the signature of the umpire.
A document must be signed in such a way as to make it appear that the
person signing it is the author of it, and if that appears it does not matter
what the form of an instrument is, or in what part· of it the signature
occurs. The fact that the umpire wrote the words "certified as correct
copy of the award dated the 27th May 1961" above his signature did not
make any_ difference and the document was still a signed copy of the
award. If anything these words showed that the document filed was a
true copy of the award. [846 D, H; 847 A-Bl
Moh•sh Lal v. Busunt Kumaree, I.L.R. (1881) VI Cal. 340, relied on.
CIVIL APPELLATE JurusmcnoN : Civil Appeal No. 1109 of
1966.
Appeal by special leave from the judilllent and order dated
December 17, 1964 of. the Punjab High Court (Circuit Bench)
at Delhi i_n Civil Revision No. 159-D of 1963.
H
M. C. Setalvad, Veda Vyasa and K. K. Jain, for the appellants.
S. G. Patwardhan, K. L. Hathi and R.H. Dhebar, for the res·
pondent.
844
SUPR.BMB COllllT RBPOR TS
(1967) l S.C.R..
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
Wanchoo, J •. This is an appeal by special leave against the
judgment of the Punjab High Court and arises in the following
circwnstances. The appellant entered into a contract with the Union
of India, respondent herein, for construction of certain highway
bridges. In connection with the execution of the contract, some
disputes arose between the parties and, were referred to the joint
arbitration of Sri B. K. Guha and Sri N. P. Gurjar. As there was
difference of opinion between the two arbitrators, the matter was
referred to an umpire, namely, Sri Dildar Hussain, retired Chief
Engineer, Hyderabad. The umpire recorded evidence of the parties
and gave his award on May.27, 1961. It appears that the award
was made in duplicate and one copy was sent to each party.
On
August 4, 1961, the appellant made a petition before the Subordinate Judge First Class, Delhi under ss. 14 and 17 of the Arbitration Act, No. JO of 1940, (hereinafter referred to as the Act).
It was prayed that the umpire be directed by the court to cause the
award or a signed copy thereof together with any depositions and
documents which might have been taken and proved before him
to be filed in court (s. 14).
It was further prayed that a judgment
be passed in terms of the award (s. 17).
It appears. that or, this petition the court issued notice to the
umpire to file the award and the arbitration proceedings. On
September 13, 1961, the umpire wrote to the court that he was
forwarding along with that letter the award in the ca5e duly signed
and certified by him.
On November 1, 1961, an objection was
taken on behalf of the respondent that the award said to have been
filed by the umpire had not been validly and legally tiled under
s. 14 and as such no proceedings in pursuance of the said filing
could be taken in court.
This objection was considered as a preliminary objection by the
Subordinate Judge. He came to the conclusion that the document
filed in court was neither the original award nor a signed copy
thereof, and as such the court could not take any action on that
document. He therefore allowed the objection and dismissed the
application under s. 17 for passing a judgment in terms of the
award. The appellant then went in revision to the High Court.
The High Court dismissed the revision application holding that
the document filed in court was admittedly not the original award
and that it was clear from a perusal of the document itself that it
was not a signed copy thereof. Certain alternative arguments
were submitted to the High Court which were rejected and the
revision application thus failed. Thereupon the appellant obtained
special leave, and that is how the matter has come up before us.
The main question that has been argued on behalf of the appellant is that the document in queition is a signed copy of the
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IDNDUSTAN CONSTR. co. v. UNION (Wanchoo, J.)
845
award within the meaning of those words in s. 14(2) and therefore
further proceedings should.have been taken under s. 17 of the Act.
Now the relevant part of s. 14 (2) reads thus :
"(2) The arbitrators or umpire shall, at the request
of any party to the arbitration agreement or any person
claiming under such party or if so directed by the court ....
cause the award or a signed copy of it, together with any
depositions and documents which may have been taken
and proved before them, to be filed in court .•........ "
Therefore when a notice is issued by a court to the arbitrators
or umpire it is their duty to file in court either the award in original or a signed copy tqereof as directed by the court. It is not
in dispute that in the present case the original award has not been
filed. The dispute is whether tlie document filed is a signed copy
of the award. The main contention on behalf of the appellant is
that the document is a signed copy of the award within the meaning
of those words in s. 14(2), and thus should have been acted upon
by the court. On the other hand, it is contended on behalf of the
respondent that what has been filed is a certified copy of the award
and not a signed copy thereof, and therefore it cannot be acted
upon. The High Court has accepted the contention of the respondent and all that it has said in that behalf is that it is clear from
a perusal of the award that it is not a signed copy of the award but
it is certified as correct copy of the award dated the 27th May,
1961. Unfortunately, the l:Iigh Court has not considered what
exactly the words "signed copy of the award" mean, and it is to
this problem 'that we must now turn.
Now the word "copy" as such is not defined in the Indian
E.vidence Act, 1 of 1872. But we get an idea of what a copy is
from the proyisions of s. 63 of the Evidence Act. That section
inter alia defines what secondary evidence means and includes
namely-(i) certified copies as provided, in s. 76 of the Evidence
Act, (ii) copies made from the original by mechanical processes
which in themselves insure the accuracy of the copy, and copies
compared with such copies, and (iii) copies made from or compared
with the original. · Obviously, therefore a copy means a document prepared from the original which is an accurate or true copy
of .t!i.e original. In Webster's New World Dictionary, the word
"dopy" means "a thing made just like another ; full reproduction
or transcription".. What the word "copy" in s. 14(2) therefore
requires is that it must be a full reproduction of the original and
that it should be accurate or true. When a document is an accurate
or true and full reproduction of the original it would be a copy.
In the present case it is not in dispute that what was produced by
Sri Dildar Hussain was a true or accurate and full reproduction
of the original. It was therefore a· copy of the original, and the
846
IUPUllB COtlaT llBPOITS
(1967) I S.C.IL
only question that remains is whether it was signed, for if it was
signed, it would be a signed copy.
This brings us to the meaning of the word "sign" as used in
the expression· "signed copy". In Webster's New World Dictionary,
the word "sign" means "to write one's name on, as in
acknowledging authorship, authorising action etc." To write one's
name is signature. Section 3(56) of the General Oauses Act, No.
IO of 1897, has not defined the word "sign" but has extended its
meaning with reference to a person who is unable to write his name
to include "mark" with its grammatical variations and cognate
expressions. This provision indicates that signing means writing
one's name on some document or paper. In Mohesh Lal v. Busunt
Kumaree(I), a
question arose as to what "signature" meant in
connection with s. 20 of the Limitation Act, No. IX of 1871. It
was observed that "where a party to a contract signs his name in
any part of it in such a way as to acknowledge that he is the party
contracting, that is a sufficient signature". It was further observed
that the document must be signed in such a way as to make it appear that the person signing it is the author of it, and if that appears it does not matter what the fonn of the instrument is, or in
what part of it the signature occurs.
We accept these observations and are of the opinion that so
"'- long as there is the signature of tJ-.e arbitrator or umpire on the
copy of the award filed in court and it shows that the person signing
authenticated the accuracy or correctness of the copy of the document would be a signed copy of the award. It would in such
circumstances be immaterial whether the arbitrator or umpire
put down the words "certified to be true copy" before signing
the copy of the award. If anything, the addition of these words
(namely, certified to be true copy) would be the clearest indication of the authentication of the copy as a true copy of the award,
which is what s. 14(2) requires, so long as the authentication is
under the signature of the arbitrator or the umpire himself. In
the present case, the document was sent by the umpire along wit.h a
'letter forwarding it to the court. In the letter it was stated that he
was sending the award only signed and certified by him. Then
turning to the document we find that it begins with the words "now
I hereby reproduce a true copy of the said award which is as follows" and this is signed by Sri Dildar Hussain, the umpire. Then
follows the copy of the award, at the end we find the words "certified as correct copy of the award dated the 27th May, 1961". Underneath appears the signature of Sri Dildar Hussain, the umpire.
Clearly therefore the document filed is a true or accurate and full
reproduction of the original award and it bears the signature of the
umpire, Sri Dildar Hussain, and thus is a signe<i copy '.>f the award.
(I) (1881) I.LR. 6 Cal. 340.
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HINDUSTAN CONSTR. co. v. UNION (Wanchoo, I.)
847
The fact that the umpire wrote the words "certified as correct
copy of the award dated the 27th May, 1961" above his signatures
does not in our opinion make any difference and the document it
still a signed copy of the award. If anything, these words show that
document filed is a true copy of the award and as it bears the signature of the umpire, it is a signed copy thereof. It may be added
that the words "now I hereby reproduce a true copy of the said
award which is as follows" which appear at the beginning of the
document and which are signed by the umpire Sri Dildar Hussain
also in our opinion are sufficient to show that what was produced
in court was a signed copy of the award as required by s. 14(2).
In this view of the matter, it is unnecessary to C011$ider the
alternative argument raised on behalf of the appellant. We therefore allow the appeal and set aside the orders of the courts below
and, holding that a signed copy of the award has been. filed as required by s. 14(2), direct that further proceedings will be taken
in the matter as required by law by the Subordinate Judge in whose
court the signed copy of the award was filed. Costs of this Court
will abide the final result.
G.C.
Appeal allowed