^ BEFORE THE HON'BLE HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR M.A.(C) No._ /T/o /2009 APPELLANTS ^LAIMANTS . .....-.-^:^s ^^^^ '—"~ . ..«•--'' ^^'••""" O'A' NON-APPLICANTS I^ESPONDENTS 1. Gajropan Yadav S/o. Baldev Yadav, aged about- 45 years, 1. Lilawati w/o. Gajropan Yadav, aged about- 40 years, Both R/o. Village & Post Petla, Patrapali, P.S. & Tahsil Sitapur, District- Surguja (C.G.) VERSUS 1. T.S. Singhdev S/o. Shri M.S. ^ Singhdev, aged about- 50 years, R/o. Kothighar, Hospital Road, Ambikapur, District Surguja (C.G.) (OWNER) 2. Sandeep Gupta S/o. Shri Satyanarayan Gupta, aged about- " 25 years, Occupation- Agriculture/ Contractor, R/o. Sitapur, P.S. & Tahsil Sitapur, District Surguja 3. The National Insurance Company through- Branch Manager, National ^ Insurance Company, Branch Office- Ambikapur, District- Surguja (C.G.) (INSURER) w^ APPEAL UNDER SECT1PM173 QF THE MOTOR VEHICLES ACT. KIGH COURT OP CKHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR &S.A. (C) N0. 1510 OF 2008 APPBLLANT^/ CLAIMANTS RESPONDBNTS/ NON-APPLICANTS Gajropaii Yadav aud auoliier Versiss T,S, Sixiglidev aiid olliei^, 1 -. ,^ •^ APPBAL UNDER SBCTION 173 OF THB MOTOR VBHICLBS ACT.1988 Divisioa Besioh: Hoa'ble Stirl i.M. Quddiisil & Hoa'ble Sferi G. MiahaNddia. JJ. Preseafe: ShriA.K. Prasad, coiinselfor theappeUaiits. Shri Maaoj Paraajpe along witii Shri Vftram Dixit counscl for fhc Rcspondcnt No, 1, None for respondent No»2though served, Shri Shreekumar Agrawal, Senior Advocate witli Shri Anaiid Kumai' Gupta, Gouiisel for iespondent No.3. ORAL ORDBR (Passed on 01st day of November, 2011) Pey i.M. Oiiddiisi, J. This appeal has becn filed against t3ie iiiipugned award dated 06-08-2009 passed by flie Foui'th AddiUonal Motor Accideut Claiois Tribunal, (F.T.C.), Aiabikapur, Distrlct Sui'giija (for short 'tlie Tribunal) iii Claim Case No.56/2008, diaiiitesiiig fhe claiBi petitiou ofthe claimaiits/appellaiits. 3. Brief facts of the case aie tiiat the deceased Madliusudaii Yadav was workuig as driver aiid tiOAi-applicaiit No. 1 was owner of fhe Tractor beariiig registratlon No. C.P.L./9297. The deceased was appoirited as driver by noAi-applicaiit No.l for nionthly salaryof Rs. 2000/-. The said tiactorwas eagaged by ttie rAoa-applicant No, 2 - Sandeep Gupta, who was a contractor, for constraction of High School BuUdiag at Rajapiir, On 03-04-2000, at 10-00 a.m. when tiie deceased after loadiag boulder IEI the ti'actor, was iietui'nLag, OM the Ghat road, the tractor rn.et wifh aii acciclent. Iii tliat accident, ihe deceased was crushed as he caine under the engine of fhe tractor, resultlrig ia his deatli ou tlie spot 4. The clalmaiits beiiig leg^l heii's of fhe deceased liad filed a petitloB. under Secfion 166 oftilie Motor Vehicles Act (for sliort tffhe Act3) before fhe Claiins Tribuiial clatoiiiig a total coisipeiisatloii to the tune ofRs.8,70,000/- for the deafli offlie deceased. 5. The leai'iied Tribunal on a close sciTitiiiy of flie evidence led, material placed and subiiiissioas made by fhe parties^ disniissed the clalin petition. 6. At fhe veiy outset learned coujiisel for fhe appellaiite has conceded tiiat fhe claiai petition uiider Section 166 of the Act was not Biauitaiiiable at a31, as tiie accideiit had taken place wheu the deeeased himselfwas driviiig flie ti^actor aad aa such tiie clalm petition should have been filed under Section 163-A of tlie Act 7. Adinittedly, sMice flie claim petition was iiot inaiiitaiiiable uiider Section 166 of the Act, 011 tiie reqiiest of tlie leaiiied courisel for tlie appellaiits, they ate gi-anted aa oppoituiiity to convert the claiiii petition into one under Sectlon 163(-A offhe Act Therefore, we set aside flie iiiipugned awaid aiid i'eiiiit back Ahe inatter to the Clamis Trlbuiial to allow tlie clakD.aate to convert tlie claLai petitlon Mito OD.e uiider Section 163-A of fh.e Act and tliereafter to consider mid deoide the same iii accordaiice witii law. 8. Needless to iiieiitioii fhat the partles sha]! be atlowed to ameiid fhe pleadliigs^ adduce fai-fher evidence, file tlie docuiiieats or get fhe docuDients verified etc, and fhei^after, flie clalm petition shatl be decided on merite. 9. Tlie pai'ties shaU appear before the Claim.s Tribunal on 13-12-2011. 10. The record of fhe Clakiis Tribunal shall be sent back wifhout fui'tlier delay. 11. No order as to coste. Kvr Sd/- LM.Quddusi Judge Sd/- G. Minhajuddin Judge