^.4fC^ •'<-"A...--' ^^ ^l '?<esT'^^ ^•" ,>-'• IN THE HIGH COURT OF CHHAmSGARH AT BILASPUR iEIUSCsm Bessb Misc. Appcal No. ^-^0 / 2006 C^C-) APPELLANT .: The Orieutal Inam-aiice Company Ud,, pcfendant No.2 RESPONDENT Claunaiit No. 1 RESPODNENT Claimant No.2 RESPONDENT Claiman.t No.3 RESPONDENT Claunaat No.4 RESONDENT Claimailt No.5 RESPQDNENT Defendant No. l through its Diyisional Manager, Divisional Office, Baaspur (C.G.). -Versus - "^ 1. ^. Smt. AIka Sahu, 28 years, Wd/o Late Vim.al Kuniar Sahu. Divyansh Sahu, 7 years, S/o Late Viinal Kuinar Sahll. 3._ Ku. Muskan Sahu, 5 years, D/o Late Vimal Knmar Sahu. Pannalal Sahu, 70 yeais, 5. _ Shanti Bai, 60 years, D/o Shri Paanalal Sahii. Respondents No. 2 and 3 are niinor, Through guardiaii - mofher AIka Sahu, W/o Vinial Kiimar Sahu, AU R/o Pendra Road, District- Bilaspiu-(C.G.). Shri Santosh Kuinar Chowhan, 35 years, S/o Shri R. K. Chouhan, R/o Village- Taraigaon, (Healfh Departiaent) P.O.-E^karia, District- Bilaspur (C.G.). -^-" 6. Euiil HIGH COURT OP CHHATnSGARa AT •II.MUPUR MISC. APPBAL (Cl MO. 206 OF 3006 f APPELLANT/ DEFENDABT KOA. w^ee«sBass& Ttic Oiiental lusuniuut: Coiupaay IA1. Vwsns Smfc ABca Sattt t App&ALWsna opT^ MGTORvmaitajB ACT. isss (DB: Hon'Kte ShriLM. Ouddurt & Haa'ble SIyi G. Mlahatuddta. .M.1 Present : ShriAshishBeak, couasdforllieappcllaat Norie for fhe respondents No, 1 to 5 fhoi^h senred. ORALORBBR (Passed on 2Stt day ofAngn»t,2011) Per I.M. Ouddusl. J. List is belag revised. Ceis& is again caUed out. No one appears on behatf of the tespoadente No. 1 to 5. However, teamed coiuasel for the appeBant is present 'nterefore, wc proceed ex-parte agaiastfhem.' 2. This appeal has beea fBed by the appeBaat/Insurance Compaay agauisf fhe impugned awaid dated 12-05-2006 passed by the Tenth Additfottal Motor Accideat Claims Tribuaal, (F.T.C.), Bilaspuur (for ahort *the Ctoiflis Tribunal') in Glaim Case No.27/2005 ia so far as it relates to fasteniag Uabilily to pay compensattoji upon it '.. . 3. Brieffects ofthe case are that oa 21-11-^)03, dcceased Vimal Kzuaar Sahu was drivu^ fhe motoixycte (Suzuk^ bearlng registratton No. C.G. IO-B/2257, aloi^ wlth oxue Saatosh who was the owner of fhe motawcycte. Near Malaqra River, he was dashed by unknown .vehicle as a result of whlch he sustaiued grievous iujiuies ia the accjflent and died ia 11*6 hospital duriugthe course ofteeatment. - 4. The claimauts being tegal heirs/depcndeats of the deceased, have filed aa appUcation befoie tbe Tribunal conceraed, under Seetioa IG3-A affhe Motor Vehicles Act (fwe^ / ....•s":??::Ki3&^\ ^. .^-......fl^^^. (-5> shoftfhe Act'),; cteiming- compensatfon to th®tune of Rs. 4,92,700/- for the death ofthe dcceased. 5. Learned Tribuaal on a close scrutlay of fhe evJdeace, inateriat placed on recoid • aud submisstons madc by tfae parties, has awatded a sum of Rs.4,42,400/- wb&A fh.e ctoimants are eutitled to receive fl'om fhe noa-applicaats jouitty - and severdly dong willi intcrcst @ 9% per anniim from the ~ date of fhe application tifl its paymenfc 6. We Iiave heard flie learned counsd fof the parties and : also perused (he recotds offhe Tribuaal. 7. to fhe iustant case, tfee deceesed was not the owuer <»f the laQfauTcycte lu questlon. Heborfowed ffae laoto.Tcycle fiK)iB its realowncr. Therefore, hc ean be neithera fhuri par^aor caa be said to lie tlie employee of the owner ofthe aaotojcyclfc- Hfr was only aufhorjzed to usc/drive the ittotoi?cycte~ by Its owueraad fherefore he would step into ttie sfaoes of ttie owaer of fhe uiotofcycle. It is weB sctQed law Itiat the perscia who 'boxTowed the vehicte (motoreycte) ttoiathe ownerstepsmto the -shoes of &e owaer of fhe vefaicte aud thus caanot dauUv compensatiou; In the case of Ortental SHSwrcawe Cwiyfea^ - -I^ftdtyed Vs. aRq^nt JBewt tout « eny Keported ia f20®^S - SCC 736, the Apex Gourt bas hcld fliat Section 163-A ofthe Motor Vehictes Act, 1988 caunot be said to have aay applicattou ia 1'egard to aa accMent whereiu tfac owner of fhc motor veliicle himseU'is iavolved. ~ • ' 8. In case of Wtngamnui emA anather va. VntteA IwSUt Insura»M2eC®mpu»qyKimltied; reported ia (2009) 13 8CC 710, foUowing the decision la Ortcnttil Sitsvranee Cwmpfuy Ximtted os. Rc^ni Dert. and <> <rs (supra^, fhe Honble Apex Court has held as iiader: *22. In a case wliere (he victim dicd or where he , was pcrjnaueutfy disabled due to au accident arising out of the a&resaid motor vehicle in Itoat eveat fhe liabUily to make paycuestt of fhe conipensation is on the insut-ance coiapaay or tfae :-^ owner, as fhe casc. niay be as pnwided luider Seetion 163-A. But if it te pfoved tbsd. (he driver js the cwner ofthe uiotof wehicle, ia ffaattase fhe owuer coiiM uot himself be a recipieat of coutpensatkui as fhe Uability to pay fhe saineKis on luia. Thte p.copositkfu is absolutety ctear on a reading of Sectfou 163-A offlie MVA. Aocorittogty, fhe legal repuesentatives offhe deceased who have stepped iato flie shoes ofthc owner ofthe inotor vclucle could not have claimed coiapeas&tion uiider Secttou 163-A ofMVA. 23. Whea we appty the saul princ4»te into the facts of the preseat case we are of thc vjew fhat the claimants were not entifled to claifltt coiapeusation under Section 163-A of fhe MVA aud to that extent ftie H^;h Court was justifed in comlag to tfac conclusion that the sai«lpiovisioa 1s not appllcabte to (he facts aud oucumstauees of the present case." 9. Therefore, in our opuuon the Trjbiuial bas coiaaEiitted manifest erior of law ia awafding a coiupcnsatiofl to fhe claimants in a elaim petition whteh was not mauitaiuable at aU under Section 163-A offhe-Act. 10. In view of ttie above, wc set aside the icapiigned ansatd dated 12-03-2006 aad diamlss fhe claim petltion.of the claiBaajatS also as nnt maintainahle. However, siuce dcceased died diie to accMent occurred witti au unknown vehicle, it wiU be for the claimants to nxoye au application befoic 'ltoc couipeteut authority uader Section 163 of fhe Act which provides for psynaent of coiapeusation iu ease of hit aad run motor accident 11. In the Jie^ylt, fhe appeal is aBo»wed. No ojdcr as to Gosts. ,'- 1. Judgc G.Minhajjudin Judge Kvr