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1995 JLJ 4
(SPECIAL BENCH)
V.L. Bhat, C.J., M.V. Tamaskar, D.K. Jain, Rajeev Gupta and M.S.A. Siddiqui, JJ.
Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Chintaman and others
Civil Revn. No. 602 of 1992; Decided on 29.9.1994.
The determination of right or liability under section 140 of the Act amounts to an award as contemplated in section 168.
If the determination of the compensation payable under section 140 of the Act is not to be regarded as an award, certain beneficial aspects of sections 168 and 173 would be denied to the claimant" who may be dragged to the superior Courts by challenges against such determination. The benefit of section 168 (2) requiring the Tribunal to deliver copies of the award to the parties expeditiously, of sub-section (3) of section 168 requiring the person liable to deposit the amount awarded by the Tribunal within 30 days, and of the requirement in the proviso to sub-section (1) of section 173 to deposit Rs. 25,000/- or fifty per cent of the award whichever is less, the High Court as pre-condition for entertainment of the appeal, would not be available to the claimants. 1992 JLJ 143 (FB) overruled. AIR 1992 SC 522 followed. 1989 MPLJ 580 confirmed. [Para 11
(2) Words and Phrases -- word "award" -- meaning of ‘Award‘ is explained in Black‘s Law Dictionary, Fourth Edition, at Page 174 as meaning -- "to grant, concede, or adjudge to; to give or assign by sentence or judicial determination.... the decision or determination rendered by arbitrators or commissioners, or other private or extrajudicial deciders, upon a controversy submitted to them; also the writing or document embodying such decision." [Para 12
(3) Words and Phrases -- word‘ ‘award" as generally understood -- means a document incorporating the adjudication or determination of a matter in dispute. [Para 12
(4) Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 --Ss. 173 and 140 -- decision of liability under S. 140-- is an award -- such decision can be challenged in appeal under S. 173. AIR 1992 SC 522 followed. 1992 JLJ 143 (FB) overruled. 1989 MPLJ 580 confirmed. [Para 12
(5) Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 -- Ss. 166, 173 and 140 -- decision under S. 140 granting or refusing interim compensation -- is an "award‘ for the purposes of S. 166 and 173. 1992 JLJ 143 (FB) overruled. AIR 1992 SC 522 followed. 1989 MPLJ 580 confirmed. [Para 13
(6) Appeal and Revision -- order appealable --no revision lies against such order. AIR 1964 SC 497 and AIR 1968 SC 366 followed. [Para 14
(7) Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 -- S. 173 -- Civil P.C., 1908 -- S. 115 (2) - Constitution of India -- Art. 227 -- decision of interim compensation appealable under S. 173 of M.V. Act -- no revision under the C.P.C. or writ petition under Constitution lies. [Para 14
¼1½ eksVj ;ku vf/kfu;e] 1988 && /kkjk 140] 173] 168 rFkk 166 && /kkjk 140 ds v/khu varfje izfrdj dk vkns‘k && **vf/kfu.kZ;** gS && ,sls vf/kfu.kZ; ds fo#) /kkjk 173 ds v/khu vihy gksxhA
vf/kfu;e dh /kkjk 140 ds v/khu vf/kdkj vFkok nkf;Ro dk vo/kkj.k /kkjk 168 esa ;Fkk vuq/;kr vf/kfu.kZ; dh dksfV dk gSA
;fn vf/kfu;e dh /kkjk 140 ds v/khu lans; izfrdj dk vo/kkj.k vf/kfu.kZ; ugha ekuk tk,xk rc nkosnkj /kkjk 168 vkSj 173 ds dfri; Qk;nkizn igyqvksa ls oafpr jg tk,¡xs] tks ,sls vo/kkj.k ds fo#) vk{ksi dj ds Åij ds U;k;ky;ksa esa ?klhVs tk ldrs gSA vf/kdj.k }kjk i{kdkjksa dks vf/kfu.kZ; dh izfr;k¡ ‘kh/kz ifjnÙk fd, tkus dh /kkjk 168 ¼2½ dh vis{kk dk Qk;nk] vf/kdj.k }kjk vf/kfu.khZr jde nk;h O;fDr }kjk 30 fnu dk Hkhrj fuf{kIr fd, tkus dh /kkjk 168 dh mi/kkjk ¼3½ dh vis{kk dk Qk;nk rFkk mPp U;k;ky; esa vihy xzg.k fd, tkus dh iwoZ‘krZ ds :i esa #- 25]000@& vFkok vf/kfu.kZ; dk ipkl izfr‘kr] tks Hkh de gks] fuf{kIr fd, tkus dh /kkjk 173 dh mi/kkjk ¼1½ dh vis{kk dk Qk;nk nkosnkjksa dks miyC/k ugha gksxkA 1992 ts ,y ts 143 ¼iw.kZ U;k;ihB½ myVk x;kA , vkb vkj 1992 ,l lh 522 vuqlfjrA 1989 ,e ih ,y ts 580 iq"VA ¿ iSjk 11À
¼2½ ‘‘kCn rFkk okD; && ‘‘kCn **vf/kfu.kZ;** && vFkZA
*vf/kfu.kZ;* CySd —r ykW fMD‘kujh] prqFkZ laLdj.k ds i`"B 174 ij Li"Vh—r gS && **iznku fd;k tkuk] Lohdkj fd;k tkuk ;k U;k;fu.kZ;u djuk( naMkns‘k vFkok U;kf;d vo/kkj.k }kjk iznku djuk ;k leuqnsf‘kr djuk------ mudks lkSais x, lafookn ij e/;LFkksa ;k dfe‘ujksa vFkok vU; izkbosV ;k U;kf;dsrj fu.kkZ;dksa }kjk fd;k x;k fofu‘p; vFkok vo/kkj.k( ,slk ys[k ;k nLrkost Hkh ftlesa ,slk fofu‘p; lekfo"V gksA** ¿ iSjk 12À
¼3½ ‘‘kCn rFkk okD; && ‘‘kCn **vf/kfu.kZ;** tSlk lk/kkj.kr% le>k tkrk gS && ,slh nLrkosth ftlesa fdlh fooknxzzLr ekeys dk U;k;fu.kZ;u vFkok vo/kkj.k lekfo"V gksA
¿ iSjk 12À
¼4½ eksVj ;ku vf/kfu;e] 1988 && /kkjk 173 rFkk 140 && /kkjk 140 ds v/khu nkf;Ro dk fofu‘p; && vf/kfu.kZ; gS && ,sls vf/kfu.kZ; ij /kkjk 173 ds v/khu vihy esa vk{ksi fd;k tk ldrk gSA , vkb vkj 1992 ,l lh 522 vuqlfjrA 1992 ts ,y ts 143 ¼iw.kZ U;k;ihB½ myVk x;kA 1989 ,e ih ,y ts 580 iq"VA ¿ iSjk 12À
¼5½ eksVj ;ku vf/kfu;e] 1988 && /kkjk 166] 173 rFkk 140 && /kkjk 140 ds v/khu varfje izfrdj iznku fd, tkus vFkok ukeatwj fd, tkus dk fofu‘p; && /kkjk 166 rFkk 173 ds iz;kstuksa ds fy, *vf/kfu.kZ;* gSA 1992 ts ,y ts 143 ¼iw.kZ U;k;ihB½ myVk x;kA , vkb vkj 1992 ,l lh 522 vuqlfjrA 1989 ,e ih ,y ts 580 iq"VA ¿ iSjk 13À
¼6½ vihy rFkk iqujh{k.k && vihyuh; vkns‘k && ,sls vkns‘k ds fo#) iqujh{k.k ugha gksxkA , vkb vkj 1964 ,l lh 497 rFkk , vkb vkj 1968 ,l lh 366 vuqlfjrA
¿ iSjk 14À
¼7½ eksVj ;ku vf/kfu;e] 1988 && /kkjk 173 && flfoy izfØ;k lafgrk] 1908 && /kkjk 115 ¼2½ && Hkkjr dk lafo/kku && vuq- 227 && varfje izfrdj dk fofu‘p; eksVj ;ku vf/kfu;e dh /kkjk 173 ds v/khu vihyuh; && fl-iz-la- ds v/khu iqujh{k.k vFkok lafo/kku ds v/khu fjV ;kfpdk ugha gksxhA ¿ iSjk 14À
U.L. Bhat, C.J. -- 1. Civil Revision 602 of 1992 has been filed by the insurer against a decision under section 140 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (for short 'the Act') directing the Insurance Company to pay compensation on account of no fault liability. Civil Revisions Nos. 589/92 and 454/93 have been filed by claimants in different cases against rejection of the claim for compensation for award under section 140 of the Act. Civil Revision No. 70/93 has been filed by an owner of the vehicle alleged to have been involved in an accident who has been directed under section 140 to pay compensation on account of no fault liability. Civil Revision No. 590/92 has been filed by an owner of the vehicle similarly placed. M.P. No. 2351/92 has been filed by a claimant under Article 227 of the Constitution whose claim for award of compensation under Sec. 140 of the Act has been rejected.
2. The civil revision petitions have been referred to a Full Bench by a learned Single Judge. The petition under Article 226 of the Constitution has been referred to a Full Bench by a Division Bench. Thus the cases came up before a Full Bench of three Judges who in the course of hearing were of the opinion that an earlier decision of a Full Bench in Gaya Prasad and others v. Suresh Kumar (1992 JLJ 143 = 1992 MPLJ 485) may require reconsideration. Accordingly, the Full Bench referred the matter to a larger Bench. That is how this larger Bench has been constituted.
3. The cases involve grant or refusal, as the case may be, of compensation by M.A.C. Tribunal under section 140 of the Act in the absence of the parties having invoked either jurisdiction of the High Court under Sec. 115 C.P.C. or the supervisory jurisdiction of this Court under Art. 226 of the Constitution. They have done so in view of the decision in Gaya Prasad's case to the effect that no appeal lies against a decision of the Tribunal under Sec. 140 of the Act. Two Judges of the Full Bench took that view while the third Judge took a contrary view. The Full Bench overruled an earlier decision of the Division Bench in Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. v. Pritamlal and others (1989 MPLJ 580) where it has been held that an appeal lies against such an award.
4. It is necessary to look into the scheme and relevant provisions of the Act in order to appreciate and adjudicate the controversy before us. Chapter X of the Act deals with no fault liability in certain cases. Broadly speaking, the provisions in Chapter X replaced the corresponding provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939 with minor changes. The no fault liability and the quantum of such liability are declared in section 140. Section 141 lays down, inter alia, that the right under Sec. 140 of the claimant is in additions to any other right on the principle of fault to claim compensation under any other provision of the Act or any other law for the time being in force. Sub-section (3) of section 141 ensures that if the compensation under section 140 is less than the amount of compensation fixed for no fault liability, the person concerned is liable to pay in addition to the no fault liability only so much of the compensation awarded as is equal to the amount by which it exceeds the no fault liability compensation. The provision also makes it clear that if the amount of the no fault liability compensation is equal to or more than the amount of the compensation finally awarded, he shall not be liable to pay the latter. Section 144 declares that the provisions of Chapter X shall have effect notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of the Act or of any other law for the time being in force.
5. Chapter XII of the Act deals with Claims Tribunals. The provisions of this Chapter are pari materia with the corresponding provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939. Section 165 states, inter alia, that the State Government may constitute one or more Motor Accident", Claims Tribunals "for the purpose of adjudicating upon claims for compe
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