•^'^^^•^ IN THE HON'BLE HIGH COURT OF CHHATTASGARH AT BILASPUR APPELANTS- Claiments ..'•"".^" ^y^ ^y ^^••'" .M^ Respondents: - M.A.©NO. S2>o OF 2008 1. Smt. Chlneli Bai, Wd/o Late Bhojram Sahu, age 23 years, 2. Ku. Nisha, age 4 years, 3. Ku. Vidhya, Age 2 years, Both D/o Late Bhojram Sahu, Through Natural Guardian Smt. Chmeli Bai 4. Smt. Dumroutin Bai, W/o Ramji Sahu, age 48 years, 5. Ku. Urmila, D/o Ramji Sahu age 22years All R/o Village- Tendukona, Thana Pithora, Distt. Mahasamund ^" y r ^ 2. VERSUS Ramji Sahu, S/o Vaidhnath Sahu age 51years, R/o Village- Tendukona, Thana Pithora, Distt. Mahasamund (C.G.) (Non Applicant No. 1) United India Insurance Co. Ltd. New Mandi Road, Mahasamund Tah. & Distt.- Mahasamund (C.G.) (Non Applicant No. 2) .^ MISCELANEOUS APPEAL U/S 173 OF THE MOTOR VEI-ffCLE ACT.1988 jCtLauTLCLD^A-—^—1—— y ^ K H2€ai€^Bial^r€^»A<rBI8GARH.BILAI»l?R 1»: ^ >a*l>l»1.10.JQUDIWM A Hotfbte OHULAM 1»IIMAJOTM 1,JJ APPBLLAIIT8: RBSPCTIDEWT8: MA (Ct »o. S80^1»K» Sxiit. Chaxoeli Bai smd othcscs v«. Ramji Sateu aaad aacrtfaer ^ aiISC.JWPBALIIIIIM»t GTKMI178^^^^ 11^1 a^TCMR VBHICMB8 A€WT. t9S9 Appcaiance: Mr. Saajay Agpawal aad Mr« DeveTOhiThakiir, couaedl ft>r fhea^e31ante, Mr, H. B. Agrsewal, Sr, Advocate wifb Mr, P&zikaj Agrawal» counsel for rcspoxxdent no,2. ^cr I.W. CICTDDOM. J. OSWLf^BWK. (11.05.2011) !• This appeal has been fi^^ toy the Cl»i^»»'»^^^^st^^^A impugn«law®iiddated05.11.2007 p^w^d by llie cauef Motor Accideixt daiEiis Tdbitaal, Mahasaaimd, Dtetdct Maliasaaxiund (C.G) ia daim <3a^e No,5S/i2007 dlsmissiiig the claiai of the appellants. 2. Brief facte of the case as per tihe versioia of fhe claimaate are fhat on 21.02.2007 deceased Bhojram Sahu sdoag-wifh h&s fiiend Tejram Nayak was goiiig to Teaadztkoaa fit)m Raipiir by Motorcycle bearmg Regxi,No^C.G,04/C-5894 owaed by respcmxleiitao.l. €tofhe i?<^ at abo<xt7*30 p.m.. ^iight time) iiear raaway ciDssizig ofvilla^ Belsoiada, fhe s^rid m.otoicycle dashed with an i3ailm<3wa vehicle <%r object^ as a rcsult of which, Bhojxam Sahu sustamed grievous iajiuy aiid died ia ^ ^^""'^\ 13 \^y •^f "-^sss Govt H(%sirital> Mahasaimmd durixig l^ At fhe time of accident, the deceased was aged aboiit 25 years, He was eanimg Rs.SOQ/ - per month by Tafltoiisig works aiid by seflmg ganaents. The claimaats beteg dependente/legal heirs have filed claitii petitioa u/s 163-A of fhe Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 for fhe awaxd of (x^mpexisattoa to the tune ofRs.12 lakhs luadervarious heads. 3. The leanied Claims Tribuxial has dismissed €he elaim petiition holdiag that fhe accideiit took plaee wh^i the deceased w^s drivmg fhe motoaxycle bearia^ Regii. No. C.G. 04-C/S894 aiad hewas Bot eiitifted te^^^r^ ui3xler sectioiai 163-Aofffae Motec ^^iMdeaA^ 4< We faawe Iteard leaiaaed ccmasel fbr the pa^es aod hai^ a^ gone tiuxmgh llie reconis. S. In fhe present case it is aa adixiittei jfact tl&at ttie motoityde did iiot beloc^ to fhe deeeased. He borrawed fhe same fixnii its real owiier ie. respoaadexit No.l hereioi axid SB si^h, f^ deceased stepped iato fhe shoes <xftfae owiiiar. 6. In the matter of Orleutid IawBF«Be<? <3oa^ugih UA Wfc Ratfal Devl repwted in ^OO^ S SCC 736 &€ Hkmlale Suprexae Court hisus beld (hat SectiMi 163-A of fhe Motw Vehicles Act, 1988 caimot be saad to have any appl&eatien ia reganl to an ace&deEit wliercm tihe owaer of tlie motar vrihfcle himself is iovolved. It was fturtfaer held that fhe liabi&ly under Sectiion 163-A offhe Act fcs oxdy oa fhe owner of fhe vehicle since a person caaaaot be bofh, a Glaimaat as also a xecipient, fhe fadhns of Itoe deceased cxnald i&ot liave maintained a claim ia tenas ofS«?tioxi163-A oftheAct 7. The Hoa*ble Supieme Court m Pam-21 & 22 ofOae jiadgment ddivered ia (he mattei' <)f^lltogaaunMtflljnn»tehfi»%». srited .Indto &ntfMncaaice ^au^u^ l^ntked rcptM'fe^^^^^^ SCC 710 has held fhus;- <e21. In cmr coi^ideii^ €ipixiMm»fhe^^^^ deeision m Orientcd Insunmce Co. Lld. oase is cteaiif appUcable to fhe facts of tfae present case. Iii tlie present case^ fhe deceased was aot the owiier of fhe motorbike in question. He borrowed the said motorbike finom its real owner. The deceased eaamyot be held to be an employee of the owaier of fhe motorbike although he was autiioifeed to diwe fte said vehfcle by its owaier aad, tfaei^)rB, he would step itfcto fhe shoes of fhe owiier of fhe motorbitec. We liave already extmcted Section 163-A offfae MVA hercmbefore. A bare perusal of fhe said pio^hsion would matoe it expBcitty clear fhat persoxis litee tlie deceased i& Ifae present case would stqp iGtto fhe y shoes offhe owxiar of ttie ^wtkicle, 22, Ia a case wlicsrciii ^lse^^^^^^ died @r where he was penBaacaitfy disafoled due to aii accideot arising oiitofthe aforcssdd mcrtiM* vdlddte ixi ttet eveat tibe liabflity to ii^gtfce p^XEU^art <rf^^ compeasatioa is <m fhe iiisu2?st0€ecom^sy OT tibe owiier, as fhe case may be as pixw&led uader Section 163-A. But ifit is proved fhat fhe driver is the owner cxf fhe motor vehide, ia ttoat ca®ette owner could aiot bitasetf be a iied^pieat of coxxipensatioii as tlie liability to pay the saaaae is oa itim. Tfais p3x>position m absolutefy dear <m a reading of Sectfon 1€3-A of the MVA. Ae<x»diagfy, (he legal ^qpx^sentatives crf fhe^ d stepped toto fhe slioes of t^ owiiet <^ tfae sxiotor vehicle could ^iet have <daimed comqpaM^tiMi uisder Section 163-A ofthe MVA." .^vi^s^. ^'y /i llp^^ ^ --...^.--.<^ i ^ 8. Thus, ia view of (he settled position of law, we are of fhe opinioa tiiat fh.e ^jtedbmaiits/appeBbants beiaig leg^d representatives of l^ie deceased, who stepped into fhe shoes of fhe owiaer ctf fhe motor <^le ^ qawstioii, could not liave claimed <i»mpeasation imder See&m 163-A of tfae Act. 9. Thjerefore, tihe appeal is liaNte to be aml is iMea^by diMi»»sedk No oxder as to coste. 10. However, since fhe dece^sed died dzie ta ac^ideaat oceuCTed with an unlaiGWD. vehlcle, it wfll be opeaibr fhe AppeUsaite/ Claixaaots to xaow; aii appliaatM^ befi^^ fte cao^Ngteirt authority u/s 163 offhe MVA wbteh p»ovMesfi>r i>aym©nitof compeasaticmm/caseofiha^aDA^im^^^^ 11. Certi&ed copy as per niles. Sd/- LM.Quddusi Judge Sd/- G. Minhajuddin Judge Rao