Arbitrator Cannot Be Substituted U/S 29A(6) Of A&C Act Unless Grounds Mentioned U/S 14 & 15 Are Satisfied: Bombay High Court

Bombay High Court ruled that an arbitrator cannot be substituted under Section 29A(6) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act unless the grounds mentioned under Sections 14 and 15 of the Act are satisfied. Section 29A deals with the time limit for an arbitral award, and subsection (6) allows for extension of this period by the court, potentially involving a change of arbitrator. Sections 14 and 15 specify grounds for the termination of an arbitrator's mandate. The court's ruling clarifies that substitution under 29A(6) is contingent upon the existence of valid reasons for termination as outlined in Sections 14 and 15.