•.-ve-WSfS'WSaasisssa,^^ •y IN THE HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILAPSUR (C.G.) Misc. Anueal {C} No. ^'7T^ 12007 APPELLANT Allianz General Insurance Company Limited, Through Branch Manager, Branch Office at Shiv Mohan Bhavan, Vidhan Sabha Road, Pandri, Raipur (C.G.) VERSUS "£\ RESPONDENTS c- ..^^ "^ ^^^\si^" ^^*99W -..'5^V"r- a^*-- . 1)^ ^Smt. Gangotri Verma Wd/ Late ^,'v Pawan Kumar aged about 26'years, 2) (^EU. Tejvantin D/p Late Pawan [umarVerma, agediabout 10 years, i 3)o ^Ku. Devantin D/o Late Pawan ^ " i Kuniar Verma, aged about 08 years, 1 4)i ^JCu. Rani D/o t&te Pawan Kumar ] 'T Verma, aged abput 06years, I 5)j^y^Ku. Neeina D/o Late Pawan Kumar 1 Verma, aged about 03 years, f ....•• j 6)(^-Nutan Verma S/o Late Pawan ^ Kumar verma, aged about 4 years, S/o Late Pawan Kumar Verma, aged about 01 year, I 8) (^^J'agmatiWd/o Late Shri Kanhaiyalal cj ' ~ Verma, aged about 55 years, Respondent no. 2 to 7 minors through guardian and next friend mother Smt. Gangotri Bai Wd/ Late Pawan' Kumar, AU R/o Village Painjani, Post Office Lahod, Thana and Tahsil'Balodabazar, (C.G.) (CLAIMANTSt 9) ^-'Shri Santosh Kumar S/o Shri %.. f Vishnu Prasad Sonwani, aged about 25 years, R/o Village-Khaparidih, Post-Bhaisa, Thana 85 Tahsil Kharora, Distt. Raipur (C.G.) IDRIVERl New India Assurance Compariy Limited, Garden Chowk, Baloda.bazar, Distt. Raipur (C.G.) .'^cil'^'. :~^^^ 11) ^M/s Shri Ram Auta, Through Ganesh Bhattar, Lavan Road, Beside Shashank Lodge, Balodabazar, Thana & Tahsil Balodabazar, Distt. Raipur (C.G.) *-N:^^^ MEBTORANDUM OF APPEAL UNDBR SECTION 173 OF THE MOTOR VEHICLES ACT 1988 AS AMENDED BY ACT OF 1994 };iti ':y .^•' :^ rar'- HKaK^URTOF CaHHA-mSCtARH ATBILASPUR MiSC^. APPBAL (a KO. 775 OF 2007 APPBLLANT RBSPONDBNTS Bajaj Atliauz Geneial Insuiancc Gompany Limited. Versus Siut. GajiKOtri Veuna aad others. APPBAL_UaDER SBCTION 173 OF THB aiOTOR VBHieLES ACT, 1988 AS AMENDEDBY ACTOP 1994 Siiude Bench: Hoa'ble Shri G. Mialiaiuddin. J. P»eseats ShriS.S. Rajput, counsel fer flie appeBaut. Sbn S.K. Oldlat ccninsel fac rc^xmdents No. 1 ^ Shri Sudlur ^rawal, couasel for rcspoiaileat No. 10. XSS.&LSSS^ESt — -: • ''•^.passed^B'3.^:iiaiy';ofl|tepte^^ Tliis appeal has t>een SIed by the appeHaat - Bajaj ABtauz LGeaeraI Insuraiace Couy)auy Limited s^aiust the uupugnedawarddated 19-04-2007 passedbyFifstAdditiDual -Motor Accident Clalms Trlbuaal, Baloudabazar (for sbort 'ttie eiaimsTribUBar) uiClaimGaseNo. 74/2006 feistje&iag the liabjMty: td p^ coBipensatioia to fhe elaimauts on. the appeIlaatjfIiisHiaace. Gouipaay JQinfly aiid severally akmg wiith fte Bfia-apgIicaHt No. 1 Santosh - wwier of the offeudiBgveUcle. 2. Brief facts oftte case according to •the vctsiQa (rf ffae cilaimante ar& tUat si.pglioaats No.-l to 8 are wife/ wimor chlldreii aad mothfir of fhje deeeased. Noa-appUcaiit No. t - Saixtosfa Ktifi^ was fhe owmer, aoja'a^ iiteui^ offfae ofieudij^ yehieIe,Mo^ No. C.G. 04-C3J/8793 aUdnoa-appUeantNo. 3 was ffie iBSBaser of fhe Motorcycle (HerolKmda Dawn)-bearing registratiDn No. C.G. 04-CD/8973 whlch was .owued by fhe Deiscased Pawaa Ktunar on finance fixun uon-appBcant No.4' — M/ a Shrirana. Auto. Ou 19-02-2005 at 6-30 P.M. fhe deceased naaQ Ktumar;was trawelirig ia flw Mototfeyde (Hero Honda. BSBW^ bearuig regBtration No. C.G. 04-G.D./8973. At Ife^ame time, on the w^- befweea Batoudaba^r gaad Raigur, aear ''V:' L^ VlUage KanM, he was dashed by fhe ofifendic.g vehicle (Motorcycle) bearmg registration No. C.G. 04-CJ/8793 which was driven by the driver Saatosh Jangde, in a i-asla. aud negl^ent manner as a result ofwhich Pawan. Kumar suatauied uijuries and succiimbed to the injuries. At fhe tiuie of fhe accident, dec-eased Pawan Kiunar was earniag Rs. 6000/- aad fh.e appUcants/clauaants No.l to 8 were depeadeuts oa hisGa. Oa accouat of fhe deafh. of their bread earner, they have suffeied k>ss ofdependeucy. 3. The claimants beiag legal heirs of the deceased liawe fited a petition before the Glaims Tribiiaal under Sectfon 16G oftfae Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (for short *flie Act^ clalmuig compensation ofRs.26,90,000/- for fhe death. ofthe dece&sea. 4. The learaed Tribunal on a olose scrutiay of the evMeuce fcd, material placed and submtesions made by both the parties, has awarded a total amouut of Rs. 1,53,000/- agamst the appeUaut/Iiisurauce Couipauy joiBfly aad severally along wifh fhe non-applicant No.l owner of fiie ofendiug vehicle atoag with iuterest @ 7% fi-om the date of fhe application till its payiaent to the cbiuaants. 5. Heard learaed couusel for fhe parties and perused ttie record of the Claims Trfliuaat as well as the impugued award. 6. The conteation of the learned couasel for the appeUaat is fhat at the time of accident, th.e driver Santosh Jaagdc who was driving motorcycle bearing registratiou No. C.Gr< 04 CJ/8793 was not haviug a valid and effective dnviag liceuce. Therefore, fhere was a ctear breach of condltions of the iusurance policy and consequenfly, the appellant/lusuraace Company 1s not Uable tp indemiiify tiie owxier of fhe m.otorcycle. 7. On fhe othcr haud, learued couasel fof tfae claunants/respondents No. 1 to 8 has supported the iiapugacd award fastening fhe VsibQsSy ou tlie appeItant/IusuFEUttce Couipaay aud faas conteaded that as per finding given by fhe Claims Tribunal, the appellant/lnsiu'anee^o.i S-'Ss'ssSS'.: l::'° Ss2!asS ^^ :\- i; .1, to prove fhat at the tune &faceidentfhe driverofthe laotorcycle No. CG.04 CJ/8793 Saatosh Jaagde was not possessiug a valid aad efiective drivlng Ucence, aad ttierefore, fhe appellant/Insurauce Coiidpany Is liable to pay compenaatioa to fhe cteimftnts/respoudents No. 1 to 8. 8. Froin fhe material avaUable ou recoid especially th.e statemeuts of witnesses Baawarilal (NAW-1) Gqastable No. 1481, aad Asliish Rao (NAW-2), Seulor Legal Officer, Bajaj aBianz Insuran.ee Couipaay, It is clear fhat after fhe aocident, the drivuig Uceuce of dece^aed was not found and despite service of uotice by Registered A.D. on the owner Sautosh Kumar (respondent No.9) of the uiotorcycle No. C.G. 04 CJ/8793, fhe particulars of the drivuig Ueeace of deceased/driver or its photo copy was uot made avaflable to the appeIIant/InsuBance Gouipaay. As sucli itw^ not possible fof fhe appellaut^Iusurauce Coiupauy to get if verified whetiier fhc liceuce ppssessed by fhe deceased waS vaUd and eflfective oa fhe date of accident From the above fa.cts, it can be presumed with certaialy fhat on the date of'accident, fhe deceased who was drivmg jaotorcycle C.G. 04 CJ 8793 was iiot haviBg a valid aad effective driviug Ucence to drive the said motorcycle. F'i»m. fhis, it is clear fhat there has been a clear breacli ofconditious offtte iusui'aace policy aud coasequeatty, fh.e appeUaat/Insiu-aace Compaay could not have been heM liable fo pay fhe ainouut ofcoiupen.sation. 9. Iu fhe result, ttie appeal fBed by thc appcUaat/Insurance Coiapaay is aUcwed aud fhe Impugned award dated t9-04- 2007, ia so far as it relateg.-to iasteiuag ofliability to pay cojap&usatiou to the claiman.ts upOn fh.e appdlaut set aside aud fhe appeUant/Insyi'aace Compaay is exoaerated &om its Uability to satlsfy the impugaed award. However, it wlll be open to fhe claimant to recovef fhe amount of compen.sation frojn fhe cwn.er (Santosh Kumar) oftfae offendii^ yelucte. 10. Learned counsel for thc appeUaat h^ stMed that as |per fhe brder offhls Coiut, fhe appeUaut has deposited 50%offhe aiaount of compeusatiou. The same shall be refuuntled to the ."t. ^^^^fcffi^.j Ni ^ <<i'!,<sS;;- "^k 1 .J J ^.: ^-'y '-T-%'^:'7' • K»T ..- ^/ appellaut/lasuraace Company if not disbursed. la case ffae said aniouut has been (lisbttrsed to tfie clauaaats/respoudente No. I to &theu-the aippellant/Insuraace Gompany shaU be entifled tp recover (he same &om fh.e owuer ofUie motorcycle i.e. Santosh Kuinar, nespoodeufNo. 9. There shaBbe no order as to costs. G.Minhajjudin Judge