2012 Supreme(Raj) 1987
RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT AT JAIPUR BENCH
Mahesh Chandra Sharma, J.
National Insurance Company Ltd. - Appellant
Versus
Bhagoti and Ors. - Respondent
S.B. Civil Misc. Appeal Nos. 2730, 3327 of 2006.
Decided On : 17-08-2012
Advocates:
For the Insurance Company in the appeal filed by the Insurance Company and for the respondent Insurance Company in the appeal filed by the Claimants:R.P. Vijay, Advocate.
For the Claimant in the appeal filed by the Insurance Company and for the appellants in Appeal No. 3327 of 2006:J.P. Gupta, Advocate.
Headnote:Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 – S. 173 – the facts of the case are that the deceased was 36 years old Assistant Station Master who died in a motor accident and now insurance is claimed against his death – the tribunal has awarded compensation of an amount of Rs. 7,92,000/ – after looking into the facts and circumstances and the evidence adduced – two appeals were preferred against this decision where one related to enhancement of the award by claimant and other for reduction of the award by the insurance company – the court held that the award amount was justified and needed no interference from this court – hence the appeal was dismissed.
JUDGMENT
1. - The National Insurance Company Ltd. (appellant in S.B. Misc. Appeal No. 2730 of 2006 and respondent No. 3 in appeal No. 3327 of 2006 in short insurance company) has filed the appeal No. 2730 of 2006 under Section 173 of the Motor Vehicle Act against the award dated 17.5.2006 of the Judge Motor Accident Claims Tribunal Dausa (in short MACT) in Claim Case No. 547/2004 awarding Rs. 7,92,200/- to the claimants. Bhagoti, Golma, Mukesh, Ram Singh, Priyanka and Bhauri (appellants 1 to 6 in appeal No. 3327 of 2006 and respondents 1 to 6 in appeal No. 2730 of 2006 (in short claimants) have filed the appeal No. 3327 of 2006 for enhancing the compensation awarded by the MACT. Since both the appeals arise from a common award, it will be proper for this Court to decide the appeals by this common order. Brief facts of the case are that on 26.1.1999 Kanipal was travelling in a tractor No. RJ-29 G 0336 instead of RJ 29 R 1796 which was going on Geejgarh Gangapur Road, then near Garhi ki Puliya, a truck No. RJ 29 G 0336 driven by respondent No. 7 driver rashly and negligently collided with the tractor due to which Kanipal sustained serious injuries and consequently died. On the basis of report submitted to SP Dausa on 10.2.1999 an FIR No. 49/1999 regarding the accident was lodged at Police Station Manpur for offence under Section 304-A IPC on 11.2.1999. The claimants filed a claim petition on 16.5.2000 before the MACT. It was alleged in the claim petition that the deceased Kanipal was 36 years old and was working on the post of Assistant Station Master and getting Rs. 8000 per month salary. The respondents 7 and 8 driver and owner of the truck filed the reply alleging inter alia that the accident was not caused intentionally and the vehicle was insured with the appellant as such the appellant would be responsible for making the payment of compensation. The insurance company filed the reply alleging inter alia that the driver was not having the valid license at the time of accident, injury report or postmortem report has not been produced on record, which clearly shows that the death was not happened in accident. The entire case has been manipulated in collusion with the respondent driver and owner of truck as such the same deserves to be quashed and set aside. The MACT framed as many as four issues. The claimants examined four witnesses and exhibited documents. No witness was produced on behalf of the insurance company. The insurance company filed application under Section 170 of the Motor vehicles Act for granting permission to contest the petition on all the grounds available and which was allowed by the MACT vide order dated 27.10.2005. The MACT after hearing both the parties allowed the claim petition vide award dated 17.5.2006 and awarded the compensation mentioned above with interest at the rate of 9% interest from the date of filing the claim petition.
2. The learned counsel for the appellant insurance company has contended that the award dated 17.5.2006 is against the provisions of law and it is legally not sustainable in the eye of law as it is quite clear that the claimants have manipulated the facts itself, which was clear that the claimants have failed to prove the fact that Kanipal had died in accident between truck and tractor. No postmortem report was produced on record and also the first information report was lodged after 16 days of the accident and no satisfactory explanation was given by the claimants for the delay. The MACT had also not properly appreciated the news item published in newspaper dated 27.1.99 in which it was not mentioned that Kanipal died in accident due to collusion of truck and tractor. The MACT has also considered that if the truck would have been involved in the accident and number of truck would have been noted then there was no reason for not to lodge the report immediately after the accident, whereas the accident was reported by the police on the basis of which news item was published on
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