HIGH COURT OF CALCUTTA
P. B. Mukharji
RAMBALLAV DHANDHANIA - Appellant
Versus
GANGADHAR NATHMALL - Respondent
Suit 369 Of 1953
Decided On : JANUARY 13, 1956
INSURANCE - NOMINATION - OWNERSHIP OF INSURANCE MONEYS - SECTION 39(6), INSURANCE ACT, 1938 - INTERPRETATION - NOMINATION UNDER SECTION 39(6) DOES NOT MAKE THE NOMINEE THE OWNER OF THE MONEY DUE UNDER THE POLICY - MONEYS DUE UNDER THE POLICY REMAIN PART OF THE ESTATE OF THE ASSURED.
Fact of the Case:
The applicant, the widow of the deceased judgment-debtor, filed an application under Section 47, Civil P. C. to remove the attachment levied on the moneys payable under two insurance policies effected by the deceased. The policies were nominated in favor of the applicant and her son-in-law as the persons to receive the insurance moneys in the event of the deceased's prior death.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the nomination under Section 39(6), Insurance Act, 1938, does not make the nominee the owner of the money due under the policy. The moneys due under the policy remain part of the estate of the assured.
Issues: Whether the nomination under Section 39(6), Insurance Act, 1938, makes the nominee the owner of the money due under the policy.
Ratio Decidendi: The court interpreted Section 39(6), Insurance Act, 1938, and held that the language used in the subsection does not say that the amount secured by the policy shall belong to such nominee, but uses the words "shall be payable" to such nominee. The court also analyzed other subsections of Section 39 and concluded that such nomination does not affect the title to the money secured by the policy but only provides a mode of payment to a particular person who is the nominee.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the application filed by the applicant.
( 1 ) THESE are three applications and Counsel engaged in them are all agreed that the decision in one will cover the decision in the other two, the point of law being the same in each case. The application that was argued before me is the application on behalf of Rama Devi, the widow of Nathmull Periwal deceased of No. 26/3, Armenian Street, Calcutta in Suit No. 369 of 1953 (Ramballav Dhandhania v. Gangadhar Nathmull) for removal-of the attachment levied at the instance of the plaintiff on the moneys payable under the Insurance Policies effected by the deceased.
( 2 ) THE plaintiff in this suit obtained a decree against the defendant firm Gangadhar Nathmull. The firm, was a registered firm with two partners, Gangadhar Periwal and Nathmull Periwal. The decree was dated 16-1-1953. Nathmull Periwal died on 2-5-1955, leaving the applicant as his widow and Dhanpatrai Pachisia as his son-in-law. Prior to his death, Nathmull Periwal insured his life with Messrs. National Insurance Company Limited under two different Life Insurance Policies for the value of Rs. 25. 000/- under each of such Policies. In each of such Policies Nathmull Periwal nominated his widow and son-in-law to receive the insurance moneys. The terms of the nomination in each Policy were as follows :"i Nathmull Periwal, the Holder of Policy No. 558347 do hereby nominate my wife Shrimati Rama Devi Periwal, aged 52 years, and my son-in-law Sri Dhanpatrai Panchisia, the survivor or survivors, as the persons to receive the moneys under the above Policy in the event of my prior death. I request the National Insurance Company Limited to note the said nomination and send me a written acknowledgment thereof. Dated at Calcutta this 31st day of March, 1953. Sd/-Nathmull Periwal. "the nomination in the other Policy was exactly in the same terms, only the Policy number being different. The plaintiff decree-holder in execution of his decree obtained on 17-6-1955 a prohibitory order of attachment restraining the applicant from receiving the insurance moneys under the said Policies.
( 3 ) THE whole contention of the applicant is that after the death of the assured Nathmull Periwal the moneys due under the Policies did not belong to the estate of the deceased assured and were, therefore, not attachable after his death in pursuance of the decree against him. In other words, the short point is that the moneys payable to the nominee under the terms ol the above nomination do not form part of the estate of the deceased judgment-debtor and, therefore, are not
answerable for the satisfaction of the decree obtained against him. As will appear from the date of the attachment, such attachment was after the death of the judgment-debtor.
( 4 ) THE main argument on behalf of the applicant was advanced by Mr. S. Roy. Such argument was based on Section 39 (6), Insurance Act of 1938. That section provides :"where the nominee, or, if there are more nominees than one, a nominee or nominees survive the person whose life is insured, the amount secured by the policy shall be payable to such survivor or survivors. "on the strength of this statutory provision it is argued that the amount secured by the Policy shall be payable to the widow and the son-in-law who are the nominees and survivors in this case and, therefore, moneys due under the said Policy do not belong to the estate of the deceased judgmentxdebtor who was the assured. Mr. Roy contends that the application is made under Section 47, Civil P. C. , because the question raised involved the satisfaction, discharge or otherwise of the decree in question and it concerned a representative of the judgment-debtor.
( 5 ) THE issue then for decision is whether such nomination in the Insurance Policy takes the moneys due under such Policy out of the estate of the assured. In support of his argument Mr. Roy relied on the Decision of the Court of Appeal in -Krishna Lal Sadhu v. Promila Bala Dassi', 1928 Cal 518 [air V 15] (A ). That
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