In Brief
Quippo Construction Equipment sued for payment dues against Janardan Nirman under four equipment rental agreements, each containing arbitration clauses—some naming Delhi and one naming Kolkata as the arbitration venue. An arbitrator passed a common ex parte award at Delhi in 2015. The respondent later filed a Section 34 petition in Kolkata court challenging jurisdiction, arguing one agreement specified Kolkata as venue. The Supreme Court held the respondent waived its right to challenge jurisdiction by failing to raise any objection before the arbitrator despite participating in proceedings. The Court allowed the appeal, restoring the Delhi court's dismissal order, holding that jurisdictional objections must be raised timely before the arbitrator, not later at the Section 34 stage.
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