IN THE HIGH COURT OR UTTARAKHAND AT NAINITAL Writ Petition No. 964 of 2008 (M/S) The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. ……. Petitioner Versus Mr. Darshan Singh & others. ……. Respondents Writ Petition No. 965 of 2008 (M/S) The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. ……. Petitioner Versus Mr. Sadan Singh & others. ……. Respondents. & Writ Petition No. 966 of 2008 (M/S) The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. ………` Petitioner Versus Mr. Avtar Singh & others. ………. Respondents Mr. T.A. Khan, Advocate for the petitioner – Insurance Company. Hon’ble V.K. Gupta, C.J. By this common judgment, all the three writ petitions, these being interconnected, are being disposed of together. The only ground on which, in the present writ petitions filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the impugned Awards have been challenged is that at the time of the accident, the bus in question did not have a valid route permit with respect to the route upon which it was being plied. A perusal of the Award shows that the petitioner Insurance Company did not take any steps nor adduced any evidence in the course of the inquiry by the Tribunal to establish this fact, onus whereof was squarely upon the petitioner insurer. This being the only defence available and this having not been proved or established, there is no merit in these writ petitions. The writ petitions are dismissed in limine. (V.K. Gupta, C.J.) 12.06.2008 G