Judgment :-

R.M. Lodha, J.

A two-Judge Bench (S.B. Sinha and Cyriac Joseph, JJ.) proceeded to hear these appeals on two common questions, namely, (1) Whether multiplier specified in the Second Schedule appended to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (for short “the 1988 Act”) should be scrupulously applied in all cases? and (2) Whether for determination of the multiplicand, the 1988 Act provides for any criterion, particularly as regards determination of future prospect. In the course of hearing few decisions of this Court, General Manager, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, Trivandrum v. Susamma Thomas (Mrs.) and Ors [1994 (2) SCC 176]., Sarla Dixit (Smt.) and Anr. v. Balwant Yadav and Ors. [1996 (3) SCC 179]., U.P. State Road Transport Corporation and Ors. V. Trilok Chandra and Ors. [1996 (4) SCC 362], Kaushnuma Begum (Smt.) and Ors. V. New India Assurance Co. Ltd. and Ors. [2001 (2) SCC 9], United India Insurance Co. Ltd. & Ors. v. Patricia Jean Mahajan & Ors. [2002 (6) SCC 281], Jyoti Kaul & Ors. v. State of M.P. & Anr. [2002 (6) SCC 306], Abati Bezbaruah v. Dy. Director General, Geological Survey of India & Anr. [2003 (3) SCC 148], New India Assurance Co. Ltd. v. Shanti Pathak (S