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2018 (4) TMI 678 - SC - Indian LawsArbitration award - waiver of the right of de novo trial by conduct - the conduct of the appellant-Company amounts to waiver or not - Whether an Umpire has to hear the matter de novo on a Reference or from the stage of disagreement between the Arbitrators? Held that: - the word de novo hearing should be given a purposive interpretation and it should be understood as a fresh hearing of the matter on the basis of pleadings, evidence and documents on record. If the party wants to re-examine a witness or objects to the documents admitted, the Umpire is to hear the parties and decide the application in the interest of justice. If the appellant-Company was serious in its endeavor that it should get an opportunity to get the evidence recorded afresh, an application could easily have been filed before starting the proceedings before the Umpire. It is only from oblique references that the appellant-Company seeks to derive such intent. This aspect is clearly an afterthought which arose during the culmination of the proceedings before the Umpire. Further, even the sum and substance of the highly belated application dated 29.01.2000 for commencement of proceedings de novo clearly shows that it was not asking for re-hearing/re-recording of the evidence but was actually requesting for review of the order of the two Arbitrators. From the above, there is no doubt that the conduct of the appellant-Company amounts to waiver and the application filled on 29.01.2000 is nothing but trying a last armory to turn the case around. The Umpire was right in dismissing the said application. Appeal dismissed.
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