The main legal point established in the judgment is the liability of the insurance company for payment of compensation in a motor accident claim case based on the insurance coverage of the offending vehicle.

( 1 ) THIS appeal is directed against the award dated 15. 4. 1999 in Motor Accident Claim Case No. 69 of 1998, by Addl. Motor Accidents Claims tribunal, Mauganj, District Rewa, whereby an award granting total compensation of Rs. 69,000 in favour of the petitioner claimant-respondent No. 1 has been passed, as against the owner of the vehicle, the appellant.

( 2 ) THE allegations were that the mother of petitioner-respondent No. 1 was sitting on the side of the road selling vegetables on 27. 4. 1990. The tractor-trolley owned and driven by the appellant ran over her, resulting in her sustaining grievous injuries which despite treatment led to her death. It was also alleged that the respondent No. 3 was the insurer of the vehicle.

( 3 ) LEARNED Tribunal found that Tedhi bai, the mother of claimant-respondent no. 1, Vinod Kumar, had sustained fatal injuries in the accident. It was, however, observed by the learned Tribunal that the claimant has failed to prove that offending tractor was insured by respondent No. 3. Accordingly, though the respondent No. 3 was exonerated from liability. However, liability to pay compensation was fastened on the owner-driver of the tractor-trolley, the appellant herein.

( 4 ) THE learned counsel for the appellant has urged that he has already filed the cover note dated 29. 11. 89 in the record of the Tribunal. That cover note bearing No. 0050679 discloses that the above tractor and trolley Nos. CPA 389 and CPA 390 were duly insured by the respondent No. 3, New India Assurance Co. Ltd. for the period from 11. 12. 89 to 10. 12. 1990. The respondent No. 3 was given an opportunity to verify from its record as to whether the offending tractor-trolley was actually insured by it or not. Learned counsel for the respondent No. 3 states that since the record regarding the said insurance is missing it is not possible for him to admit the issuance of the above cover note and that for the same reason he is also not in a position to controvert that the offending tractor and trolley was insured by respondent No. 3 as above.

( 5 ) LEARNED counsel for the appellant has in the above context submitted that not only the original insurance cover note has been filed by him in the record of the tribunal, but there is a letter from the allahabad Bank dated 24. 11. 1999, copy of which has been filed by him, which states that the bank had given loan on the said tractor after verifying that the said tractor was insured with New India Assurance co. Ltd.

( 6 ) IN view of above, the contention of the learned counsel for the appellant is that in the absence of any rebuttal by the respondent No. 3, it should be presumed and held that the tractor was at the relevant time of accident insured and its risk covered by respondent No. 3. Therefore, it has been prayed that the respondent No. 3 should also be made liable for payment of amount of compensation and to reimburse the same to the appellant owner.

( 7 ) SINCE there is a cover note which has already been referred to by the letter dated 24. 11. 1999, issued by the Allahabad Bank, it appears that the claimant has placed on record adequate documentary proof to show that the offending tractor was duly insured on the date of accident, i. e. , on 27. 4. 1990. The respondent No. 3 is not in a position to deny the same. Hence, inference in favour of the appellant owner should be drawn.

( 8 ) THEREFORE, liability for payment of amount of award deserves to be fastened on respondent No. 3 also, and the appeal deserves to be allowed to the above extent.

( 9 ) ACCORDINGLY, this appeal is allowed. The impugned award is modified and it is directed that the claimant-respondent No. 1 shall be entitled to recover the amount of award of Rs. 69,000 (rupees sixty-nine thousand) from the appellant as well as respondent No. 3, the New India Assurance co. Ltd. They would be liable to pay the above amount of award jointly and severally. If the amount of award of Rs. 69,000 has already be