2023 Supreme(Online)(KAR) 7305
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MFA No. 100953 of 2021
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD
BENCH
DATED THIS THE 20TH DAY OF APRIL, 2023
PRESENT
THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE R.DEVDAS
AND
THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE RAJESH RAI K
MFA NO. 100953 OF 2021 (MV-)
BETWEEN:
1.
SMT RIYANABI W/O LATE PAKRUDDIN
AGE 44 YEARS, HOUSEWIFE,
2.
MOHAMMED ASIF S/O LATE PAKRUDDIN
AGE 23 YEARS, STUDENT,
3.
MOHAMMED IRFAN S/O LATE PAKRUDDIN
AGE 20 YEARS, STUDENT,
ALL ARE R/O HOUSE NO 124,
WARD NO 14, MUNICIPAL OFFICE ROAD,
MILLERPET, BALLARI-583101
…APPELLANTS
(BY SRI. MANJUNATHA G PATIL, ADVOCATE)
AND:
1.
MOHAMMAD ABBAS
S/O MOHAMMED MUSTAFA
AGE 47 YEARS, OWNER OF THE
LORRY BEARING REG NO KA-16/C-8587
BHARATHI
H M
Digitally signed
by BHARATHI H
M
Location: High
Court of
Karnataka,
Dharwad
Date:
2023.04.24
10:36:08 +0530
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MFA No. 100953 of 2021
R/O BEHIND LIC OFFICE,
YERAGUNTESHWARA EXTENSION
HIRIYUR, CHITRADURGA DISTRICT
NOW R/O C/O
SRI NEMAKKAL PANDIYON TRANSPORT,
NEAR THANGAMALI, MURUGON HOTEL,
NH4, HIRIYUR, CHITRADURGA-570101
2.
THE BRANCH MANAGER
HDFC ERGO GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
LIMITED,
BALLARI-583101
…RESPONDENTS
(BY SRI.NAGARAJ C. KOLLORI, ADV. FOR R2)
(NOTICE TO R1 IS DISPENSED WITH)
THIS MFA IS FILED U/S.173 (1) OF MOTOR VEHICLES
ACT, PRAYING TO CALL FOR THE TRIAL COURT RECORDS IN
MVC NO. NO.198/2019 ON THE FILE OF THE MEMBER MOTOR
ACCIDENT CLAIMS TRIBUNAL-XII, BALLARI AND ENHANCE THE
COMPENSAITON FROM 14,70,000/- TO Rs.62,00,000 IN MVC
NO.198/2019 DATED 22.01.2021 AND ETC.
THIS APPEAL, COMING ON FOR ADMISSION, THIS DAY,
THE COURT DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:
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MFA No. 100953 of 2021
This appeal is filed under Section 173(1) of Motor
Vehicles Act, 1988 (for brevity ‘M.V. Act’) by the
appellants / claimants, calling in question the judgment
and Award dated 22.01.2021 passed in MVC No.198/2019
on the file of MACT-XII, Ballari (for brevity ‘Tribunal’) for
seeking enhancement of the compensation.
Brief facts leading to the case are that on 07.12.2018
at about 00.30 a.m. after loading the paddy crop in the
lorry bearing registration No.KA-34/B-1503, the deceased
Pakruddin being the driver of the said lorry was
proceeding along with the cleaner on NH-150/a near
Kodihalli gate, Challakere taluk, at that time, the driver of
the offended lorry bearing Regn. No.KA-16/C-8587 came
from opposite direction in high speed, rash and negligent
manner and dashed to the lorry of the deceased and
thereby caused the accident. As a result, the deceased
sustained fatal injuries all over the body and he was
shifted to Government Hospital, Challakere and later to
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VIMS hospital Bellary. But he succumbed to injuries while
taking treatment. As such, a case was registered against
the driver of the offending truck bearing regn. No.KA-
16/C-8587 in Crime No.173/2018 of Thalak Police Station
for the offences punishable under Sections 279, 338 and
304-A of IPC. Accordingly, a claim petition was filed by the
appellants/claimants who are the legal heirs of deceased
i.e. wife and children under Section 166 of MV Act,
claiming
compensation
for
the
death
of
deceased
Pakruddin. The Tribunal after appreciating the material
and evidence on record allowed the claim petition in part
and awarded compensation of Rs.14,74,000/- along with
interest at the rate of 7% per annum from the date of
petition till the date of realization. The Tribunal held
respondent Nos.1 and 2 jointly and severally liable to pay
the said compensation to the appellants/claimants. Being
aggrieved by the said award this appeal is filed by the
claimants/appellants seeking enhancement of the award.
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Heard the arguments of the learned counsel for
appellants/claimants
and
the
learned
counsel
for
respondent-Insurance Company and perused the materials
on record.
4.
The
learned
counsel
for
appellants/claimants
contended that the Tribunal passed the impugned
judgment and award without looking into the facts and
circumstances of the case and also without appreciating
the evidence on record which is arbitrary and contrary to
the law and facts of the case. The learned counsel further
contended that the Tribunal erred while granting the
compensation in different heads, more particularly by not
properly considering the nature of avocation and income of
the deceased. As such, the learned counsel prays to allow
the appeal filed by appellants and prays to enhance the
compensation amount by modifying the judgment and
award, passed by the Tribunal.
5.
Per contra, the learned counsel for respondent No.2
i.e. Insurance company would contend that the Tribunal
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rightly awarded the compensation by considering the
evidence on record and the Tribunal also awarded the
compensation in different heads as per the settled
principal of law by this Court and Hon’ble Apex Court.
Accordingly, learned counsel prays to dismiss the appeal.
6.
We have bestowed our anxious consideration to the
submissions made by both the parties and the evidence
and materials available on record including the trial Court
records, placed before us.
7.
Having heard both the parties and on perusal of the
records, there can be no doubt that death of the deceased
Pakruddin i.e husband of the first appellant and father of
appellant Nos.2 and 3 was caused in a road accident due
to the rash and negligent driving of the offending vehicle
bearing
regn.No.KA-16/C-8587
owned
by
the
first
respondent and insured by the second respondent. Even
otherwise, the said aspect substantiated by the documents
ie. Ex.P1-the FIR, Ex.P2-the Complaint and EX.P7-the
charge sheet filed by the jurisdictional Police against the