Case: United India Insurance Co. Ltd Vs. Laxmamma &amp; Others

order directing a certain person to pay a certain sum of money to a certain person. It involves a promise that such money would be paid.18. Thus, when the insured fails to pay the premium promised, or when the cheque issued by him towards the premium is returned dishonoured by the bank concerned the insurer need not perform his part of the promise. The corollary is that the insured cannot claim performance from the insurer in such a situation.19. Under Section 25 of the Contract Act an agreement made without consideration is void. Section 65 of the Contract Act says that when a contract becomes void any person who has received any advantage under such contract is bound to restore it to the person from whom he received it. So, even if the insurer has disbursed the amount covered by the policy to the insured before the cheque was returned dishonoured, the insurer is entitled to get the money back.20. However, if the insured makes up the premium even after the cheque was dishonoured but before the date of accident it would be a different case as payment of consideration can be treated as paid in the order in which the nature of transaction required it. As such an event did not happen in this case, the Insurance Company is legally justified in refusing to pay the amount claimed by the respondents.” 16. In Deddappa (2008) 2 SCC 595 , the Court was concerned with the plea of the insurance company that although the vehicle was insured by the owner for the period October 17, 1997 to October 16, 1998 but the cheque issued therefor having been dishonoured, the policy was cancelled and, thus, it was not liable. That was a case where for the above period of policy, the cheque was issued by the owner on October 15, 1997; the bank issued a return memo on October 21, 1997 disclosing dishonour of the cheque with remarks ‘fund insufficient’ and the insurance company, thereafter, cancelled the policy of insurance by communicating to the owner of the vehicle and an intimation to the concerned RTO. The accident occurred on February 6, 1998 after the cancellation of the policy. 17. The Court in Deddappa (2008) 2 SCC 595 again considered the relevant statutory provisions and decisions of this Court including the above three decisions in Inderjit Kaur (1998) 1 SCC 371 , Rula and Seema Malhotra (2001) 3 SCC 151. In para 24 (at page 601) of the Report, the Court observed as under: “24. We are not oblivious of the distinction between the statutory liability of the insurance company vis-C -vis a third party in the context of Sections 147 and 149 of the Act and its liabilities in other cases. But the same liabilities arising under a contract of insurance would have to be met if the contract is valid. If the contract of insurance has been cancelled and all concerned have been intimated thereabout, we are of the opinion, the insurance company would not be liable to satisfy the claim.” Then in para 26 (at page 602), the Court invoked extraordinary jurisdiction under Article 142 of the Constitution of India and directed the insurance company to pay the amount of claim to the claimants and recover the same from the owner of the vehicle. 18. We find it hard to accept the submission of the learned counsel for the insurer that the three-Judge Bench decision in Inderjit Kaur (1998) 1 SCC 371 has been diluted by the subsequent decisions in Seema Malhotra (2001) 3 SCC 151 and Deddappa (2008) 2 SCC 595.turned on the facts obtaining therein. In the case of Seema Malhotra2, the claim was by the legal heirs of the insured for the damage to the insured vehicle. In this peculiar fact situation, the Court held that when the cheque for premium returned dishonoured, the insurer was not obligated to perform its part of the promise. Insofar as Deddappa (2008) 2 SCC 595 is concerned, that was a case where the accident of the vehicle occurred after the insurance policy had already been cancelled by the insurance company. 19. In our view, the legal position is this : where the policy of insurance is issued by an authorized insurer on receipt of cheque towards payment of premium and such cheque is returned dishonoured, the liability of authorized insurer to indemnify third parties in respect of the liability which that policy covered subsists and it has to satisfy award of compensation by reason of the provisions of Sections 147(5) and 149(1) of the M.V. Act unless the policy of insurance is cancelled by the authorized insurer and intimation of such cancellation has reached the insured before the accident. In other words, where the policy of insurance is issued by an authorized insurer to cover a vehicle on receipt of the cheque paid towards premium and the cheque gets dishonored and before the accident of the vehicle occurs, such insurance company cancels the policy of insurance and sends intimation thereof to the owner, the insurance company’s liability to indemnify the third parties which that policy covered ceases and the insurance company is not liable to satisfy awards of compensation in respect thereof.20. Having regard to the above legal position, insofar as facts of the present case are concerned, the owner of the bus obtained policy of insurance from the insurer for the period April 16, 2004 to April 15, 2005 for which premium was paid through cheque on April 14, 2004. The accident occurred on May 11, 2004. It was only thereafter that the insurer cancelled the insurance policy by communication dated May 13, 2004 on the ground of dishonour of cheque which was received by the owner of the vehicle on May 21, 2004. The cancellation of policy having been done by the insurer after the accident, the insurer became liable to satisfy award of compensation passed in favour of the claimants.21. In view of the above, the

Court's decision (1 = petition accepted / positive for appellant, 0 = rejected / negative): 0

Reasoning from the judgment:
0[ds]19. In our view, the legal position is this : where the policy of insurance is issued by an authorized insurer on receipt of cheque towards payment of premium and such cheque is returned dishonoured, the liability of authorized insurer to indemnify third parties in respect of the liability which that policy covered subsists and it has to satisfy award of compensation by reason of the provisions of Sections 147(5) and 149(1) of the M.V. Act unless the policy of insurance is cancelled by the authorized insurer and intimation of such cancellation has reached the insured before the accident. In other words, where the policy of insurance is issued by an authorized insurer to cover a vehicle on receipt of the cheque paid towards premium and the cheque gets dishonored and before the accident of the vehicle occurs, such insurance company cancels the policy of insurance and sends intimation thereof to the owner, the insuranceliability to indemnify the third parties which that policy covered ceases and the insurance company is not liable to satisfy awards of compensation in respect thereof.20. Having regard to the above legal position, insofar as facts of the present case are concerned, the owner of the bus obtained policy of insurance from the insurer for the period April 16, 2004 to April 15, 2005 for which premium was paid through cheque on April 14, 2004. The accident occurred on May 11, 2004. It was only thereafter that the insurer cancelled the insurance policy by communication dated May 13, 2004 on the ground of dishonour of cheque which was received by the owner of the vehicle on May 21, 2004. The cancellation of policy having been done by the insurer after the accident, the insurer became liable to satisfy award of compensation passed in favour of the claimants.