As per the case facts the appeal arose from a High Court judgment that dismissed an appeal under Section of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act The core issue revolved around ... an arbitrator's discretion in granting post-award interest The appellant had provided bill discounting facilities to the respondent and despite dues remaining unpaid the arbitrator awarded post-award interest only on the principal amount The reason for the appeal was to determine if the arbitrator had the discretion to grant post-award interest solely on the principal sum The question arose whether an arbitrator has the discretion to grant post-award interest only on the principal sum due under Section b of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act Finally the Supreme Court ruled that an arbitrator has the discretion to award post-award interest on a part of the sum as interpreted in Hyder Consulting It affirmed that Section b does not restrict an arbitrator's discretion in granting post-award interest and this power must be exercised reasonably and in good faith considering all relevant circumstances The Court concluded that the arbitrator's award of post-award interest on the principal amount was not an error apparent The appeal against the High Court's judgment was dismissed