A learned Civil Judge, Junior Division, Chandigarh, were reiterated in the Appeal. It was contended that while the Award was passed by the Arbitrator on 22nd January, 1996, the petition under Sections 14(2), 17 and 29 of the Ar.bitration Act, 1940, was filed by the Respondent Company on 27th February, s 1996. Directions were, thereafter, given by the Trial Court to the Arbitrator to produce the Award in Court and the same appears to have been sent by the learned Arbitrator by post and was received by the Trial Court on 18th February, 1998. It also appears that notice was issued to both the parties, but c ultimately on account of inadvertence, on subsequent dates it was recorded that the Award had not been received. Ultimately, on 27th May, 1998, the Trial Court recorded that the original arbitration file had been received and the case was adjourned till 27th July, 1998, for filing rejoinder. The Appeal Court, therefore, held that legally and technically both the parties came 0 to know about the filing of the Award in Court for the first time on 27th May, 1998, although, the Award had been received through the post in the Court on 18th February, 1998. Having regard to the above, 27th May, 1998, was held to be the date when the parties had notice of filing of the Award. It was also E observed that under Article 119 of the Limitation Act, 1963, a party to an Arbitration Award could file objection, with a prayer to set aside or modify the Award, within 30 days from the date of notice of filing of the Award in Court. The Appeal Court also recorded the fact that in this case without waiting for the filing F of the Award in Court, the Appellants herein filed their objections to the Award on 3rd January, 1998, before the Award had been received in the Court and the parties had notice thereof. It was accordingly held that it could not be said that the objections were barred by limitation, but they were in G fact pre-mature and could not, therefore, be taken note of. In fact, during the course of arguments, it was also the case of the Respondent Company that the objection filed on behalf of the Appellants could not be held to be barred by limitation, but was pre-mature and the Appellants were not competent to file H the said objection before the Award was received in the Court.
