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2021 Supreme(All) 1626

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
Kaushal Jayendra Thaker, Subhash Chand, JJ.
Satyapal Singh And Others - Appellant
Vs.
Manoj Kumar And Others - Respondent
First Appeal From Order No. - 3390 of 2016
Decided On : 01-09-2021

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant : Nipun Singh
For the Respondent: GA, Atul Kumar Srivastava

Headnote:

Constitution of India,1950 - Article 41 - Motor Vehicle Act - Sections 166, 168, 147, sub-section (6) of Section 158 and 140 - Application for compensation - Accident - oral documentary evidence - Deceased was a pillion rider on two wheeler driven Both of them were returning home one Wagon-R was being driven rashly and negligently, dashed with the motorcycle whereby the driver and the deceased were injured - Accident occurred and for a period of two days he survives - Respondent filed its reply disputing the fact that the driver of vehicle was driving vehicle rashly and negligently and was driving vehicle without taking proper care and caution and the vehicle was insured with insurance company - Tribunal dismissed the claim petition on totally ungermane grounds which could not be made on the basis of surmises and conjectures - Tribunal disbelieved involvement of the vehicle on ground that driver of vehicle did not sustain serious injuries. He has disbelieved the evidence of PW 1 to 5 that they are not to be disbelieved and has relied on the decision of Orissa High Court - Investigator report, who has produces PW1 has been believed - D.W.1 accident occurred due to involvement with some other vehicle and not that of Wagon-R. It is held that the evidence of PW.1 is not trustworthy and that accident occurred with unknown vehicle and the FIR has been given after two days - Tribunal has considered the facts which are not proved, the fact that charge-sheet is led against the driver and owner of Wagon-R - Charge-sheet and FIR prima facie prove the accident between two vehicle - Investigation DW1 did not mention fact that accident occurred with which vehicle – Held, Silent about this aspect of the matter will also permit us to discord said fact as having not been proved. Held that what has not been contended in the written statement cannot be permitted to be proved which is beyond record - Insurance company if it wanted to heavily relied on the report of the private investigator, the investigator’s report should have been produced - Trapping of Civil Court should not be adhered to in such a way that it does not give so as to the claimants of the accident - Judgment in United India Insurance Company will also enure for the benefit of the appellants - Apex Court has held that where the pleadings are silent, same cannot be agitated so as to dismiss the claim of the claimants - Case also the written statement of the insurance company is totally silent on this aspect, hence we cannot concur with the award of the Tribunal - Appeal stands allowed.

JUDGMENT :

1. Heard Sri Sumit Suri, Advocate, holding brief of Sri Nipun Singh, learned counsel for appellants, Sri Atul Kumar Srivastava, learned counsel for respondents-Insurance Company and perused the record of Tribunal.

2. This appeal, at the behest of the claimants, challenges the judgment and award dated 29.09.2015 passed by Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, Baghpat (hereinafter referred to as 'Tribunal') in M.A.C.P. No. 24 of 2013 whereby the claim petition has been dismissed.

3. The facts as culled out, from the record are that the deceased was a pillion rider on the two wheeler driven by Akash son of Bhanwar Singh. Both of them were returning home one Wagon-R was being driven rashly and negligently, dashed with the motorcycle whereby the driver and the deceased were injured. The accident occurred on 22.2.2013 and for a period of two days he survives.

4. On 23.02.2013, the respondent filed its reply disputing the fact that the driver of the vehicle was driving the vehicle rashly and negligently and was driving the vehicle without taking proper care and caution and the vehicle was insured with insurance company.

5. The claimants filed documentary evidence so as to prove oral documentary evidence. The tribunal has framed five issues and decided all the issues and dismissed the claim petition. The tribunal dismissed the claim petition on totally ungermane grounds which could not be made on the basis of surmises and conjectures. The tribunal disbelieved the involvement of the vehicle on the ground that driver of the vehicle did not sustain serious injuries. He has disbelieved the evidence of PW 1 to 5 that they are not to be disbelieved and has relied on the decision of Orissa High Court. The investigator report, who has produces PW1 has been believed. According to D.W.1 the accident occurred due to involvement with some other vehicle and not that of Wagon-R. It is held that the evidence of PW.1 is not trustworthy and that accident occurred with unknown vehicle and the FIR has been given after two days. The tribunal has considered the facts which are not proved, the fact that charge-sheet is led against the driver and owner of Wagon-R. The charge-sheet and FIR prima facie prove the accident between the two vehicle. During investigation DW1 did not mention the fact that the accident occurred with which vehicle. The investigator just because of the investigator found that the vehicle involved in the accident was also really involved in the accident in the year 2012 and on the same basis he has come to the conclusion that the vehicle was not involved. He has not examined any other person as driver of the motorcycle. The charge-sheet led against Manoj Kumar just because Satpal Singh and Harpal Singh did not carry said vehicle that it is full proof investigation. He has not come out with number of vehicle which he suspects was involved. All these facts will go against the respondent-insurance company. Thus eye witnesses opined we will have to upturn the findings as far as non involvement of the vehicles, hence the matter is allowed. We would have decided the quantum of compensation as it is composite negligence of both the drivers. The driver and owner of the insurance company of the motor cycle is not joined as respondent party.

6. The order of the Tribunal is based on hyper technical ground that the FIR did not disclose the number of vehicle and that it was lodged against unknown vehicle. It is further submitted that the Tribunal has held that the driver of the vehicle did not sustain any injury. The Tribunal has rejected the claim petition of the appellants, who have lost the bread earner of the family.

7. Learned counsel for the appellant has heavily relied on the decision of the Apex Court in the case of Mangla Ram Vs. Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd. and others [2018 LawSuit (SC) 303]. He further relied in the case of Sunita and others Vs. Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation and another [2019 LawSuit (SC) 190] so as to discard

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