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2011 Supreme(Raj) 1236

2012(1) CCR 501 (Raj.)
(Rajasthan High Court)
Jaipur Bench
State of Rajasthan & Anr. Vs. Shri Murari Lal (Rafiq, J.)
HON'BLE MOHAMMAD RAFIQ, J.
State of Rajasthan & Anr.
Versus
Shri Murari Lal
S.B. Civil Misc. Appeal No.1603 of 2003, decided on 17.11.2011

Advocates Appeared
S.C. Purohit, Addl. Govt. Counsel, for Appellants;
Rajneesh Gupta, for Respondent

Headnote:Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, Secs. 167 & 173 — Injury matter — Claim that jeep hit to scooter — Injuries to scooter rider — Multiple fractures — Shortening of right arm by 2 inches — Tribunal awarded Rs. 1,50,000/- as compensation against owner of jeep — Contention that tribunal not correctly appreciated evidence — Scooter rider was solely responsible for accident — Scooter slipped in process of overtaking and accident occurred — Held — Contention of appellant cannot be believed in the light of injuries of claimant and mechanical inspection report of scooter which clearly proved that light were broken, wire of horn was also broken, hand break was even disordered, handle system was found in correct position, mud guard of front side was having dent from the road side its foot break system was also broken, due to which it could not get start and its test on road is not possible — Evidence proved the negligence of jeep driver — Quantum of compensation is reasonable — No interference called for.

        (Paras 2 & 4)

       eksVj ;ku vf/kfu;e] 1988] /kkjk 168 ,oa 173 & pksV dk ekeyk & nkok fd thi us LdqVj dks VDdj ekjh & LdqVj lokj dks pksVs & vusd vfLFk Hkax & 2 bap nk;h ckag NksVk gksuk & vf/kdj.k us izfrdj ds :i esa 1]50]000@- #i;s thi ds Lokeh ds fo:) vf/kfuf.kZr fd;s & vihy & rdZ fd vf/kdj.k us lk{; lgh :i ls ewY;kadu ugha fd;k & LdqVj lokj nq?kZVuk gsrq ,d ek= ftEesokj Fkk & LdqVj vksoj Vsfdax ds Øe esa fQlyk vkSj nq?kZVuk ?kVh & vfHkfu/kkZfjr & vihykFkhZ dk rdZ LdqVj ds ;kaf=dh fujh{k.k fjiksVZ ,oa nkosnkj ds pksVksa ds izdkj esa fo'okl ugha fd;k tk ldrk tks Li"V :i ls lkfcr fd;k fd ykbV VqfV gqbZ Fkh] gkuZ dk rkj Hkh VqVk Fkk] gkFk dk czsd Hkh dke ugha dj jgk Fkk] gSMy flLVe lgh fLFkfr esa ugha ik;k x;k] vkxs rjQ dh eM xkMZ lM+d dh rjQ ls fipdk gqvk Fkk & bldk iko czsd flLVe Hkh VqVk Fkk ftlds dkj.k ;g pkyw ugha gks ldk vkSj bldk lM+d ij tkap laHko ugha gS & lk{; ls thi pkyd dh ykijokgh fl) fd;k & izfrdj dh ek=k ;qfDr;qDr gS & gLr{ksi dh ekax ughaA ¼in la[;k 2 ,oa 4½

       vihy vLohdkj dhA

       

Hon'ble RAFIQ, J.—This appeal has been preferred by State of Rajasthan against the award of the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal dated 13.9.2001, which has granted a sum of Rs.1,50,000 as compensation to the claimant-respondents. The claim petition was filed by claimant-respondent before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal inter alia stating that on account of rash and negligent driving of jeep No.RJ 11C 0055 by appellant No.2 belonging to police department, the claimant who was driving scooter No.CIG 5348 met with an accident on road side from Murena to Dholpur via Badi at about 4.30 PM in the evening of 25.6.1992 near Village Nayapura. The claimant sustained multiple fractures leading to paralysis of the upper limb and shortening of right arm by 2 inches. The Tribunal awarded a sum of Rs.1,50,000. Aggrieved thereby, the appellant approached this Court.

2. Shri S.C. Purohit, learned Additional Government Counsel has argued that the Tribunal failed to correctly appreciate the evidence on record. The Tribunal has in fact mislead the evidence and the documents. It has awarded excessive amount on the head of actual medical expenditure. The claimant failed to prove any negligence of the jeep driver and in absence thereof, no compensation could be awarded. The scooter rider was solely responsible for the accident, who was trying to overtake the jeep and in that process, the scooter got slipped leading to injuries to the injured. In this connection, learned counsel sought to rely on the statement of AWD-1 Kishan Singh and AWD-2 Mangal Singh and also the site plan Ex.38.

3. Shri Rajneesh Gupta, learned counsel for the respondent opposed the appeal and supported the award. He argued that evidence clearly proved the negligence of the jeep driver. The quantum of compensation is also reasonable. No interference is therefore called for.

4. On hearing learned counsel for the parties and perusing the material on record, I find that the claimant Murari Lal has appeared as a witness and has stated that accident took place at about 4.30 AM when he was going from Dholpur to Badi. He was driving scooter and it was a steep road which was gaining height on the side towards Badi. He was driving the Scooter in a very slow speed, suddenly a jeep came from front side. The jeep was coming from the side of Badi towards Dholpur. The jeep has suddenly emerged after overtaking the bus and hit the scooter. AWD-2 Mangal Singh, the Sub Inspector has given a contrary version and has stated that when they went from Badi towards Dholpur and reached to the steep of Nayapura, he saw two trucks standing there and saw two persons and a scooter lying on the one side of the road and therefore stopped the jeep. The people who were assembled there told that the Scooter driver in order to save himself from the truck, had tried to overtake and slipped and in that process received injuries. But this statement cannot be believed in the light of injuries of the claimant and also the mechanical inspection report of the Scooter which clearly proved that the lights were broken, wire of horn was also broken, hand break was even disordered, handle system was found in correct position. Mud guard of the front side was having dent from the road side. Its foot break system was also broken, due to which it could not get start and its test on road is not possible. The site plan Ex.38 also shows that immediately before the place where the accident took place, there was a turn and from the turn and he was moving towards Dholpur where it was going downwards towards steep and that when it hit the Scooter, Scooter went on the road. Ex.42, the newspaper report which is on record has also carried a news item on 30th June, that a jeep has hit the scooter, as a result of which two persons got injured. The compensation that has been awarded by the learned Tribunal, does not appear to be either excessive or otherwise unjust. The right hand of the injured was shortened by 2 inches and there was permanen






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