2001 Supreme(Del) 1344
High Court Of Delhi
KRISHNA DEVI - Appellant
Versus
HARYANA STATE ELECTRICITY BOARD - Respondent
Suit 2045 of 1989
Decided On : 09/20/2001
Anil Mittal, ASHOK GUPTA, GAUTAM AWASTHI, K.P.KAPUR
The main legal point established in the judgment is that the defendant's liability in tort of negligence depends on the breach of duty and the careless breach of such duty. The court found that the defendant had not acted negligently and had taken all necessary precautions as required by the law, thus absolving the defendant of any liability.
Headnote:
Negligence - Recovery of Damages - Explosive Gas Cylinder - [Tort - Negligence - Explosives Act] - The court dismissed the suit for recovery of damages on account of the death of an employee due to an explosion of a gas cylinder in the defendant's premises. The court found that the defendant had taken all necessary precautions and that the deceased had entered the prohibited area as a trespasser, thus absolving the defendant of any liability.
Fact of the Case:
The plaintiffs, widow, and children of the deceased employee, filed a suit for recovery of damages on account of the death of the employee due to an explosion of a gas cylinder in the defendant's premises. The plaintiffs claimed that the defendant's negligence led to the accident and sought compensation for the loss of life and mental agony.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the defendant had not acted negligently and had taken all necessary precautions as required by the Explosives Act. It held that the deceased had entered the prohibited area as a trespasser, absolving the defendant of any liability. As a result, the court dismissed the suit and held that the plaintiffs were not entitled to any damages.
Issues: The issues before the court were: 1. Whether the explosion of the gas cylinder occurred due to the negligence of the defendant? 2. Whether the deceased was a trespasser and his legal heirs are not entitled to claim any damages? 3. To what damages, if any, are plaintiffs entitled to and from which defendants? 4. Whether defendants 1 and 1 (a) are necessary and proper parties? 5. Relief.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the defendant had not acted negligently and had taken all necessary precautions as required by the law. It found that the deceased had entered the prohibited area as a trespasser, absolving the defendant of any liability. As a result, the court dismissed the suit and held that the plaintiffs were not entitled to any damages.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the suit, stating that the plaintiffs were not entitled to any damages. No order as to cost was made.
( 1 ) THE plaintiff No. 1 is the widow of late sh. Rambhaj. Plaintiffs 2 to 4 are her children. Plaintiff No. 5 is the mother of Sh. Rambhaj. These plaintiffs have filed this suit for recovery of Rs. 10 lacs impleading Haryana State Electricity Board as defendant No. 1 and M/s Rajdhani Sales as defendant no. 2. The amount is claimed by way of damages on account of loss of life of Sh. Rambhaj who was an employee of defendant No. 1 and died in an accident which occurred in the premises of defendant No. 2. The facts as mentioned in the plaint may now be stated in brief.
( 2 ) DEFENDANT No. 1 which is established by government of Haryana to generate and supply electricity in the State of Haryana. One of its electricity generation plant is at Panipat. Defendant no. 2 is doing the business of manufacturing of various types of gases including H-2 gas which is required in the thermal plant. The case set out in the plaint is that defendant No. 1 had deputed Sh. Rambhaj to Delhi on or about 5/10/1988 to the factory premises of defendant No. 2 for collection of H-2 gas for Panipat thermal Plant since the same was required for some emergency work. When Sh. Rambhaj was in the premises of defendant No. 2 for the aforesaid purpose, there was an explosion of gas cylinder in the factory of defendant no. 2 on 6/10/1988 and as a result whereof sh. Rambhaj died on the spot. He is survived by the plaintiffs. He was on duty when the explosion took place. There was no fault of Sh. Rambhaj when he got killed while on duty. The plaintiffs approached the defendant no. 1 several times to pay compensation but nothing was paid. Sh. Rambhaj was a Junior Engineer aged only 42 years and was drawing salary of rs. 2,798. 50 paisa and still had 18 years of service ahead of him. He would have earned much more than he was earning at the time of his death. His untimely death caused mental shock and agony to the plaintiffs who have almost come on road and are living at the mercy of their close relatives with no source of income or livelihood. The accident occurred due to negligence of defendants. It is also stated that the defendant no. 2 was fully conscious of the hazardous and inherently dangerous nature of H-2 gas which had been stored in their plant. The activities of the defendant no. 2 and are potential threat to the health and safety of persons working in the factory, the person residing in the surrounding area and those who are near the site of the factory. The manufacturing plant of the defendant No. 2 at their aforesaid factory was old and dilapidated. The defendant No. 2 has singularly failed to maintain these plants property and provide requisite safety standards having regard to the inherently dangerous nature of the products manufactured and stored therein. The defendants were fully aware of the shortcoming in the plant of defendant No. 2 and the hazardous nature of their activities. It is further stated that the defendants through their employees/agents were negligent for not taking adequate safety measures to prevent any such mishap which took the life of Sh. Rambhaj. The defendants employees/agents did not maintain safety standards as required by law. The defendant No. 2 was also negligent in failing to maintain the plant properly. The conduct of the defendants was in fact reckless and callous and they failed to maintain it properly and due to hazardous nature of their activities and the inadequate safety measures, there was an explosion resulting in death of Sh. Rambhaj. It is also stated that irrespective of the question of negligence of the defendants, the defendants have absolute liability in the matter. The defendants being engaged in hazardous and inherently dangerous industry which poses a threat to the health and safety of the persons employed, it becomes the absolute and non-delegable duty of the defendants to ensure that no harm results to anyone on account of the hazardous or inherently dangerous nature of their activities. Th