The immediate lodging of the FIR by an eye witness can be a crucial factor in determining the facts of an accident.

Sanjay Yadav, J.

Shri A.K. Sharma, learned counsel for appellant.

Shri A.K. Dixit, learned counsel for respondents.

2. Owner and Driver of the offending vehicle has approached this Court vide present Appeal under Section 173(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 against the Award dated 10.11.2014 whereby Rs. 5,41,000/- has been awarded in lieu of death of one Prabhu Singh who died on 25.10.2011 having run over by offending Tractor bearing registration No.MP 15 AA 7192 while exonerating the Insurance Company from the liability on a finding that the offending vehicle was operated contrary to the insurance policy as the deceased was found sitting on the mud-guard of the offending vehicle from where he fell down and run over.

3. Appellant takes exception to findings arrived at by the trial Court on the ground of being contrary to evidence led on behalf of applicant/appellant; wherein, the witnesses have stated in clear terms that the deceased was run over by offending vehicle while he was standing by the side of road. It is contended that the Claims Tribunal committed gross error in placing reliance on FIR rather on the statement of PW-2, an eye witness.

4. The relevant finding recorded by the Claims Tribunal are in paragraphs 12 to 19. In paragraphs 18 and 19 the Claims Tribunal found :

^^18- gLrxr~ ekeys esa vkosndx.k us izFke lwpuk fjiksVZ ¼izn'kZ ih&1½ dks ml fcUnq rd Lohdkj djus dk iz;kl fd;k gS fd vukosnd dz0&1 ds okgu ls ?kVuk fnukad dks izHkw flag dh nq?kZVuk esa e`R;q gqbZ] fdUrq bl rF; dks Lohdkj djus ls badkj fd;k gS fd izHkw flag mDr VªsDVj ij cSBk FkkA ,slk og ugha dj ldrs ;g rks ml le; gh mUgsa bl fjiksVZ ds laca/k esa ofj"B vf/kdkfj;ksa dks f'kdk;r djuh pkfg, Fkh vkSj ,slk u djus ls vkaf'kd :i ls vius ykHk ds fy, vkaf'kd rF; dks Lohdkj vkSj vkaf'kd rF; dks vLohdkj ugha dj ldrs mls nLrkost lEiw.kZ :i ls Lohdkj djuk gksxkA

19- bl izdkj ¼izn'kZ ih&1½ ds nLrkost ls ;g izekf.kr gS fd izHkw flag iz'uxr~ okgu ds eMxkMZ ij cSBdj tk jgk Fkk vkSj mlls gh fxjus ls mldh e`R;q gqbZA vkosndx.k vkSj vukosndx.k dz0&1 o 2 dk ;g dgha vfHkopu ugha gS fd izHkw flag vukosnd dz0&2 dk MªkbZoj ;k Dyhuj ;k daMDVj gSA blls Li"V gS fd izHkw flag ds okgu ij cSBus ds laca/k esa dksbZ vfrfjDr izhfe;e chek dEiuh dks vukosnd dz0&2 }kjk vnk ugha fd;k x;k gS vkSj mlus okgu ij lokjh ds :i esa izHkw flag dks cSBk;k gS tks fd Li"V :i ls chek ikWfylh ds 'krksZa dk mYya?ku gS vkSj izhfe;e ds vHkko esa vukosnd dz0&3 iw.kZ :i ls nkf;Ro ls mUeksfpr gksuk ik;h tkrh gSA**

5. That the FIR, reliance whereof has been placed by the Claims Tribunal was lodged by PW-2 namely Bheem Singh. This fact has not been denied by the appellant. It is also not denied that Bheem Singh was an eye witness and immediately when the accident occurred he had lodged the FIR with the police wherein it is stated :

^^eSa [ksrh djrk gwaA vkt fnukad 25-10-2011 dks 'kke djhc 5 cts eSa viuh eksVj lkbZfdy ls firkth ds lkFk nsojh vk jgk FkkA tSls gh ge yksx chuk frxM~Mk jtkSyk iSVªksy iai ds ikl vk;sA mlh le; nsojh rjQ ls esjs xkao ds fnyhi flag jktiwr dk gjs jax dk VªsDVj fnyhi flag dk HkkbZ ccyw flag VªsDVj dks rst xfr ,oa ykijokgh iwoZd pykrk vk jgk Fkk VªsDVj ij eMxkMZ ij esjs cM+s firkth izHkq flag jktiwr ifjgkj ,oa iMjgh dk jktw Bkdqj cSBs FksA iSVªksy iai frxM~Mk ds ikl ,dne esjs cM+s firkth izHkw flag fxj x;s Åij ls VªsDVj fudy x;k tks xEHkhj :i ls ?kk;y gks x;sA ccyw VªsDVj ysdj xkao rjQ Hkkx x;kA eSaus vkSj firkth us mUgsa mBk;kA VªsDVj dk uEcj ugha ns[k ik;kA izHkw flag dks eksVj lkbZfdy ls ljdkjh vLirky nsojh bykt djkus yk;sA MkW0 us bykt djds ftyk vLirky lkxj fjQj dj fn;kA ge yksx thi ls lkxj ys tk jgs FksA izHkw flag jkLrk esa [kRe gks x;s rks yksVkdj okfil nsojh ys vk;s vLirky dh rjQ thi esa yk'k j[kh gSA fjiksVZ djus vk;k gwaA dk;Z0 dh tkosA fjiksVZ i<+dj ns[kh dgs vuqlkj fy[kh gSA**

6. It is observed that while entering in witness box he gave a different version that the deceased was standing by the road side, however, this witness does not dispute of having lodged the FIR. Though