A. R. LAKSHMANAN, C. J.

( 1 ) WHAT is the reasonable interest payable on the amount of compensation awarded to a claimant in a motor accident claim case is the issue involved in these matters referred to by a Division Bench of this Court for an authoritative pronouncement.

( 2 ) THE awards passed by the respective Tribunals, out of which, the present appeals arose, were challenged on various grounds including the ground that the Tribunals ought not to have granted interest at 12% per annum on the amount of compensation awarded. When the appeals came up for admission together with the interlocutory applications for stay of the awards, on a consideration of the decisions of the supreme Court in S. Kaushnuma Begum v. New India Assurance Co. Ltd. and the Full bench decision of this Court in General manager, APSRTC v. Sangum Bhagyamma wherein it was held that the claimants are entitled to interest at 9% per annum, on one hand, and the decisions of the Supreme court in Smt. Chameli Wati v. Delhi Municipal corporation of Delhi, Jagbir Singh v. General manager, Punjab Roadways, Dr. K. R. Tandon v. Om Prakash and a Division Bench decision of this Court in Shobha Rani v. New india Assurance

Click Here to Read the rest of this document