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  1. Home/
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  3. High Court Of Tripura/
  4. 2024/
  5. July

The Branch Manager, Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. vs. Smt. Shefali Rudrapaul and Ors

Decided on 31 July 2024• Citation: MAC App./40/2024• High Court of Tripura
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                                 HIGH  COURT   OF TRIPURA                           
                                         AGARTALA                                   
                                 MAC  App.  No.40  of 2024                          
                The  Branch Manager                                                 
                Oriental Insurance Company Ltd.                                     
                Dharmanagar  Branch,                                                
                Rajbari, Dharmanagar, Dist:- North Tripura                          
                (Insurer of the bike vehicle bearing                                
                Registration Number TR-05-B-7023)                                   
                                                                  ---- Appellant    
                                           Versus                                   
              1. Smt. Shefali Rudra Paul,                                           
                W/O  Late Umesh Rudra Paul                                          
              2. Smt. Uttama  Rudra Paul                                            
                D/O  Late Umesh Rudra Paul,                                         
                Both are resident of Vill- Durgapur                                 
                Hawrerbazar, PO:- Birchandranagar                                   
                PS & Sub Div:- Kailashahar,                                         
                Dist:- Unakoti Tripura, Pin-799280                                  
                                                       ----Claimant-respondents     
              3. Sri Abdul Khalik                                                   
                S/O Aftar Ali of Fulbari                                            
                PS:- Churaibari                                                     
                Sub-Div:- Dharmanagar                                               
                Dist:- North Tripura, Pin-799262                                    
                (Owner  of the bike vehicle bearing                                 
                Registration No. TR-05-B-7023)                                      
                                                          ----Owner respondent.     
                  For Petitioner(s)  :    Mr. K. De, Adv.                           
                  For Respondent(s)  :    Mr. H. K. Bhowmik, Adv,                   
                                          Mr. R. Datta, Adv.                        
                  Date of hearing    :    29.07.2024                                
                  Date of delivery of                                               
                  Judgment & Order   :    31.07.2024                                
                  Whether fit for                                                   
                  reporting          :    YES                                       
                                        . JUSTICE  BISWAJIT    PALIT                
                          HON‟BLE    MR                                             
                                      Judgment   &  Order                           
                            This appeal is preferred challenging the judgment       
                                                                       st           
               and  award dated 26.09.2023  delivered by Learned MAC(1  ),          

                                           Page 2 of 16                             
               Unakoti  District, Kailashahar  in  connection  with  case           
               No.T.S(MAC)  No.9 of 2022. By the said judgment, the Learned         
               Tribunal below has awarded  compensation  at Rs.8, 30,000/-          
               along with interest at the rate of 6% per annum from the date        
               of filing of the case i.e. w.e.f. 18.05.2022 within a period of      
               2(two)  months  from that day,  failing which it was further         
               ordered to pay penal interest at the rate of 9% per annum till       
               the date of actual payment.                                          
               2.           Heard Learned Counsel Mr. K. De representing the        
               appellant-Insurance Company and  also heard Learned Counsel          
               Mr. R. Datta  for the owner-respondent of the  bike bearing          
               No.TR-05-B-7023  and further heard Learned Counsel Mr. H. K.         
               Bhowmik  representing the claimant-respondents.                      
               3.           Before coming to the conclusion of the appeal let       
               us discuss about the subject matter of the claim petition filed      
               before the Learned Tribunal below.                                   
               4.           The  respondent-claimant-petitioners filed one          
               claim petition under Section 166 of M.V. Act before the Learned      
               Tribunal below for the death of the husband of respondent No.1       
               and  the father of respondent  No.2  respectively in a road          
               accident occurred on 01.05.2019 at Kirtantali under Kailashahar      
               Police Station due to rash and negligent driving of the bike         
               bearing  No.TR-05-B-7023.   According  to the   respondent-          
               claimant-petitioners, on 01.05.2019   Umesh   Rudra   Paul,          
               husband  and father of claimant-respondent Nos.1 and 2, was          
               proceeding towards Kailashahar town by riding his bi-cycle via       

                                           Page 3 of 16                             
               Kailashahar-Dalugaon  road   and   when   he   reached   at          
               Kirtantali(near Shanshanghat), that time,  one  motor  bike          
               bearing No.TR-05-B-7023(Pulsar 150), which was also coming           
               from Kailashahar towards Dalugaon with high speed suddenly           
               dashed against said Umesh Rudra Paul, as a result, he fell down      
               on the ground and received injury on his person. Immediately         
               on receipt of information, Fire Service personnel came to rescue     
               the victim and shifted him to District hospital, Kailashahar from    
               where  the victim was brought to Silchar and after that, the         
               injured was treated at Shillong and Gauhati Medical College and      
               Hospital and in course of his treatment, said Umesh Rudra Paul       
               succumbed  to his injuries on 06.05.2019.                            
                            It was further stated that the accident took place      
               due to rash and negligent driving of the driver of the said bike.    
               On  that issue, Kailashahar P.S case No.33/2019 under Section        
               279/338/304(A)  IPC was registered. It was further submitted         
               that at the time of accident the monthly income of the deceased      
               was  Rs.15,000/-. So, the respondent-claimant-petitioners filed      
               the claim petition.                                                  
               5.           The OP No.1  i.e. owner-respondent No.3 herein,         
               appeared and contested the petition by filing written statement      
               denying the assertion of the respondent-claimant-petitioners. It     
               was  further submitted that he was the owner of the vehicle          
               bearing No.TR-05-B-7023(pulsar 150). It was duly registered          
               and valid up to 15.08.2023. Further stated that the vehicle was      
               duly insured with the OP No.2-Insurance Company on the date          

                                           Page 4 of 16                             
               of the accident and on the day of alleged accident, he was also      
               having valid driving licence upto 21.11.2037.                        
                            The OP  No.2 i.e. appellant-Insurance Company           
               herein also appeared on receipt of notice and contested the          
               claim by filing written statement and it was further submitted       
               that the claim petition was subjected to strict prove by the         
               respondent-claimant-petitioners.                                     
               6.           Upon the pleadings of the parties, the Learned          
               Tribunal below framed the following issues:                          
                                 i) Whether on 01.05.2019 at about 08:00 to 08:30   
                                   hours the vehicle bearing No.TR-02-B-7023        
                                   driven by Abdul Khalik in rash & negligent       
                                   manner dashed the husband of the claimant No.1   
                                   namely Umesh Rudra paul, at Kirtantali on KLS-   
                                   Dalugaon road under Kailashahar PS, who          
                                   received head injuries and 06-05-2019 he         
                                   succumbed to his injuries in Guwahati Medical    
                                   College & Hospital?                              
                                ii) Whether the claimant-petitioners are entitled to
                                   get any compensation, if so, to what extent?     
                                iii) Who is liable to pay the compensation?         
                                iv) To any other relief/reliefs to which the parties
                                   are entitled to, if any?                         
               7.           Before the  Tribunal, the respondent-claimant-          
               petitioner No.2 Smt. Uttama Rudra Paul was examined as PW-1          
               and she  relied upon some documents  which were  marked as           
               Exbt.-P1 to Exbt.-P8.                                                
                            From  the  side of  the OP  No.1  i.e. owner-           
               respondent No.3  herein, Md. Abdul Khalik was examined  as           
               DW-1  and he relied upon certain documents which were marked         
               as Exbt.-A to Exbt.-D.                                               
               8.           Finally on conclusion of  proceeding, Learned           
               Tribunal below by the judgment and  award allowed the claim          

                                           Page 5 of 16                             
               petition. The operative portion of the judgment and  award           
               dated  26.09.2023  of the Learned  Tribunal below  runs as           
               follows:                                                             
                                                    A W A R D                       
                                     “11. In the result, it is ordered that O.P. No.2,
                                     the Branch Manager, the Oriental Insurance     
                                     Company   Limited, Dharmanagar Branch,         
                                     Rajbari, Dharmanagar, North Tripura, the       
                                     Insurer of the offending bike vehicle bearing  
                                     No.TR-05-B-7023 shall pay the awarded          
                                     amount  of compensation of Rs.8,30,000/-       
                                     (rupees eight lacs and thirty thousand) with   
                                     interest @ 6% per annum from the date of       
                                     filing of the case, i.e., on 18-05-2022 to the 
                                     claimant-petitioners within 02(two) months     
                                     from today, failing which the OP No.2 shall    
                                     have to pay penal interest of 9% p.a. till the 
                                     date of actual payment.                        
                                     12. Order regarding manner of disbursement     
                                     of the compensation amount shall be passed     
                                     as per the guidelines of the Hon‟ble High      
                                     Court of  Tripura after payment of the         
                                     awarded amount.                                
                                     13. Supply copy of this award free of cost to  
                                     the claimant-petitioner and OP No.3 through    
                                     their engaged learned counsels.                
                                     14. The case stands disposed of.”              
                            Challenging that award, the present appellant has       
               preferred this appeal.                                               
               9.           In course  of  hearing of  argument,  Learned           
               Counsel  for the Insurance-Company,  Mr. K.  De  drawn  the          
               attention of the Court that on the alleged date of accident, the     
               rider-cum-owner  of the bike did not have any  valid driving         
               licence but the Learned Tribunal below did not consider the          
               same  and fastened the liability upon the Insurance Company in       
               place of fastening the liability upon the owner-respondent.          
               Learned Counsel in course of hearing also drawn the attention        
               of the Court referring para No.6 of the judgment/award and           
               submitted that in the said judgment, it was referred in para         

                                           Page 6 of 16                             
               No.6  that during cross-examination  by OP  No.2-Insurance           
               Company,  DW-1  stated that the driving licence was issued on        
               04.07.2019 and that was valid up to 21.11.2037 from which it         
               appears that on the alleged date of accident, he had no valid        
               driving licence. So, in view of the principle laid down by Ho        
                                                                     n’ble          
               the Apex Court, according to Learned Counsel for the appellant,      
               there was no scope  on the part of Learned Tribunal below to         
               fasten the  liability the amount of compensation  upon the           
               appellant-Insurance Company.                                         
               10.          Learned Counsel for the appellant further drawn         
               the attention of this Court referring para No.10 of the said         
               judgment  and award and  submitted that the Learned Tribunal         
               below  at the time of delivery of judgment relied upon  the          
                                            reported in AIR 2011 SC 1234            
               citation of Hon’ble Apex Court                                       
               (Kusum   Lata &  Ors. vs. Satbir and Ors.), but the                  
                                                                   Hon’ble          
               Apex  Court  also in another judgment  of  3 judges  Bench           
               reported in (2004)  3 SCC  297  of National Insurance  Co.           
               Ltd. v. Swaran  Singh  &  Ors. dated 05.01.2004  wherein in          
               para Nos.84, 85, 86, 87, 92 and 93, Hon                              
                                                       ’ble the Apex Court          
               observed as under:                                                   
                                     “When, admittedly, no licence was obtained     
                                     by a driver                                    
                                     84. We have analysed the relevant provisions   
                                     of the said Act in terms whereof a motor       
                                     vehicle must be driven by a person having a    
                                     driving licence. The owner of a motor vehicle  
                                     in terms of Section 5 of the Act has a         
                                     responsibility to see that no vehicle is driven
                                     except by a person who does not satisfy the    
                                     provisions of Section 3 of 4 of the Act. In a  
                                     case, therefore, where the driver of the       
                                     vehicle, admittedly, did not hold any licence  
                                     and the same was allowed consciously to be     
                                     driven by the owner of the vehicle by such     

                                           Page 7 of 16                             
                                     person, the insurer is entitled to succeed in  
                                     its defence and avoid liability. The matter,   
                                     however, may be different where a disputed     
                                     question of fact arises as to whether the      
                                     driver had a valid licence or where the owner  
                                     of the vehicle committed a breach of the       
                                     terms of the contract of insurance as also the 
                                     provisions of the Act by consciously allowing  
                                     any person to drive a vehicle who did not      
                                     have a valid driving licence. In a given case, 
                                     the driver of the vehicle may not have any     
                                     hand in it at all e.g. a case where an accident
                                     takes place owing to a mechanical fault or vis 
                                     major.(See Jitendra Kumar:(2003) 5 SC 538.)    
                                     85.  In V.  Mepherson v.  Shiv Charan          
                                     Singh:(1998 ACJ 601(Del), the owner of the     
                                     vehicle was held not to be guilty of violating 
                                     the condition of policy by willfully permitting
                                     his son to drive the car who had no driving    
                                     licence at the time of accident. In that case, it
                                     was  held that the owner and insurer both      
                                     were jointly and severally liable.             
                                     86. In New India Assurance Co. Ltd. v. Jagtar  
                                     Singh:(1998 ACJ  1074(HP)) Hon‟ble M.          
                                     Srinivasan, C.J., as His Lordship then was,    
                                     was  dealing with the case where a duly        
                                     licensed driver was driving a vehicle but there
                                     was  a dispute as to who was driving the       
                                     vehicle. In that case the Court referred to the
                                     judgment in Kashiram Yadav v. Oriental Fire    
                                     &  General Insurance Co.:(1989) 4 SCC 128      
                                     and expressed its agreement with the views     
                                     taken therein.                                 
                                     87. In National Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Ishroo   
                                     Devi:(1999 ACJ 615(HP) where there was no      
                                     evidence that the society which employed the   
                                     driver was having knowledge that the driver    
                                     was not holding a valid licence, it was held   
                                     that the insurance company is liable. The      
                                     Court relied upon the decisions of this Court  
                                     in Kashiram Yadav case:(1989) 4 SCC 128,       
                                     Skandia case:(1987) 2 SCC 654 and Sohan Lal    
                                     Passi case:(1996) 5 SCC 21.                    
                                     Where the driver‟s licence is found to be fake 
                                     92. It may be true as has been contended on    
                                     behalf of the petitioner that a fake or forged 
                                     licence is as good as no licence but the       
                                     question herein, as noticed hereinbefore, is   
                                     whether the insurer must prove that the        
                                     owner was guilty of the wilful breach of the   
                                     conditions of the insurance policy or the      
                                     contract of insurance. In Lehru case:(2003) 3  
                                     SCC 338 the matter has been considered in      
                                     some  detail. We are in general agreement      
                                     with the approach of the Bench but we intend   
                                     to point out that the observations made        
                                     therein must be understood to have been        
                                     made in the light of the requirements of the   
                                     law  in terms whereof the insurer is to        
                                     establish wilful breach on the part of the     
                                     insured and not for the purpose of its         
                                     disentitlement from raising any defence or for 
                                     the owners to be absolved from any liability   
                                     whatsoever. We would be dealing in some        

                                           Page 8 of 16                             
                                     detail with this aspect of the matter a little 
                                     later.                                         
                                     Learner‟s licence                              
                                     93. The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 provides for  
                                     grant of learner‟s licence. [See Section 4(3), 
                                     Section 7(2), Section 10(3) and Section 14.]   
                                     A  learner‟s licence is, thus, also a licence  
                                     within the meaning of the provisions of the    
                                     said Act. It cannot, therefore, be said that   
                                     when a vehicle is being driven by a learner    
                                     subject to the conditions mentioned in the     
                                     licence, he would not be a person who is not   
                                     “duly licensed” resulting in conferring a right
                                     on the insurer to avoid the claim of the third 
                                     party. It cannot be said that a person holding 
                                     a learner‟s licence is not entitled to drive the
                                     vehicle. Even if there exists a condition in the
                                     contract of insurance that the vehicle cannot  
                                     be driven by a person holding a learner‟s      
                                     licence, the same would run counter to the     
                                     provisions of Section 149(2) of the said Act.  
                            Referring the same,  learned  Counsel for  the          
               appellant-Insurance Company  submitted that in view  of the          
               principle                                               the          
                        of law  laid down  by  Hon’ble Apex  Court in               
               aforesaid 3 Judges bench in absence of valid driving licence, the    
               observation of the Learned Tribunal below cannot be sustained        
               in the eye of law.                                                   
               11.          Learned Counsel further referred another citation       
                                    reported in AIR 1996 SC  1150  in New           
               of Hon’ble Apex Court                                                
               India Assurance  Co. Ltd. v. Mandar Madhav   Tambe  & Ors.           
               dated 14.12.1995                                                     
                                 wherein in para  No.15, Hon’ble the Apex           
               Court further observed as under:                                     
                                     “15. Apart from the fact that a learner having 
                                     such a licence would not be regarded as duly   
                                     licenced, the aforesaid clause in the insurance
                                     policy makes it abundantly clear that the      
                                     insurance company, in the event of an          
                                     accident, would be liable only if the vehicle  
                                     was being driven by a person holding a valid   
                                     driving licence or a permanent driving licence 
                                     “other than a learner‟s licence”. This clause  
                                     specifically provides that even if respondent  
                                     No.3 had held a current learners licence at    
                                     the time of the accident, the appellant would  
                                     not be liable. In the present case it is clear 
                                     that the respondent No.3 did not have a        
                                     permanent learner‟s licence before the date    

                                           Page 9 of 16                             
                                     of the accident and he had held only a         
                                     learner‟s licence and it lapsed nearly two     
                                     years before the accident. The High Court      
                                     observed that the Act did not contemplate a    
                                     “permanent driving licence” because a driving  
                                     licence is valid only for a certain period after
                                     which it has to be renewed. This may be so,    
                                     but the use of the words “permanent driving    
                                     licence” in the insurance policy was to        
                                     emphasise that a temporary or a learner‟s      
                                     licence holder would not be covered by the     
                                     insurance policy. The intention and meaning    
                                     of the policy clearly is that the person driving
                                     the vehicles at the time of the accident must  
                                     be one who holds a „driving licence‟ within    
                                     the meaning of Section 2(5A) of the Act. This  
                                     being so, we are unable to agree with the      
                                     conclusions of the High Court that the         
                                     appellant was liable to pay the amount which   
                                     had been awarded in favour of respondent       
                                     No.1.”                                         
                            Referring the same,  Learned  Counsel  further          
               submitted that even it was found that on the day of alleged          
               accident, if the owner-cum-rider had learner     ce, in that         
                                                         ’s licen                   
               case also, there was no scope on the part of the Tribunal to         
               impose  any  liability of payment of compensation upon  the          
               Insurance Company   but the Learned  Tribunal below did not          
               consider the same and fastened the liability upon the Insurance      
               Company    for which  according  to  Learned  Counsel,  the          
               interference of the Court is required and Learned Counsel urged      
               for allowing this appeal by setting aside the judgment of the        
               Learned  Tribunal below and to fasten the liability upon the         
               owner-cum-rider of the offending motor bike.                         
               12.          On  the other hand,  Learned  Counsel for the           
               owner-cum-rider or the motor bike, Mr. R. Datta submitted that       
               from the record, it appears that the driving licence was issued      
               by the Authority on 04.07.2019  and the same  is valid upto          
               21.11.2037 but the alleged accident took place on 01.05.2019.        

                                           Page 10 of 16                            
               So, on the day of alleged accident, although the OP-cum-rider        
               of the bike could not produce any driving licence in his favour      
                                                    ce and the said owner-          
               but definitely he had valid learner’s licen                          
               respondent  might have  applied for the licence prior to the         
               accident  although  the  same  was   issued  later on  and           
               furthermore, there was no  evidence on record that the said          
               respondent was  not capable to ride/drive any vehicle on the         
               alleged day. So, according to Learned Counsel, the observation       
               of the Learned Tribunal below in para No.10 of the judgment          
               was rational and justified. According to Learned Counsel, Mr. R.     
               Datta, Learned Tribunal below rightly fastened the liability of      
               payment  of compensation upon  the Insurance Company   with          
               direction to recover the same from the owner of the vehicle. It      
               was further submitted that there is no other contrary evidence       
               on record that on the alleged day, the vehicle had no insurance      
               coverage. So, according to Learned Counsel, there is no scope        
               to interfere with the judgment of the Learned Tribunal below         
               and  the Learned  Tribunal below, after considering all the          
               aspects with justification, has awarded compensation upon the        
               respondent-claimant-petitioners. So, Learned Counsel at the          
               end urged for dismissal of the appeal.                               
               13.          Learned Counsel  for the  respondent-claimant-          
               petitioners, Mr. H. K. Bhowmik submitted that although it was        
               the liability upon the owner-cum-rider of the bike to pay the        
               compensation  but since the bike was  duly insured with the          
               appellant-Insurance Company  on  that relevant day, so, the          

                                           Page 11 of 16                            
               Learned  Tribunal below as per law has  rightly fastened the         
               liability of payment of  compensation  upon  the Insurance           
               Company.  So, there was no perversity in the judgment of the         
               Learned Tribunal below and urged for dismissal of this appeal        
               upholding the judgment  and  award of the  Learned Tribunal          
               below.                                                               
               14.          I have heard arguments of the contesting parties.       
               There is no dispute on record regarding the fact of accident on      
               the alleged day i.e. 01.05.2019 and there is also no dispute on      
               record that after the accident on 01.05.2019, the deceased           
               victim succumbed  to  his injuries on 06.05.2019. From  the          
               relevant documents  submitted  by  the respondent-claimant-          
               petitioners, it appears that respondent-claimant-petitioner could    
               prove that on the alleged day, an accident took place and due        
               to  accident, the injured  sustained grievous  injuries and          
               ultimately he was succumbed to his injuries and on the alleged       
               day, the vehicle of the respondent OP No.1 of the claim petition     
               i.e. owner-respondent  No.3   herein, had  valid  insurance          
               coverage. From  the record of the Learned Tribunal, further it       
               appears that on the alleged day of accident, the respondent          
               No.3 herein could not adduce any  valid driving licence in his       
               favour although he produced valid driving licence from which it      
               appears that his driving licence was valid w.e.f. 04.07.2019         
               upto 21.11.2037.                                                     
                            The said  respondent OP  No.3  also could not           
                                       ce in support of his contention before       
               produce any learner’s licen                                          

                                           Page 12 of 16                            
               the Learned Tribunal below but the vehicle of the respondent         
               OP  No.3 has valid insurance coverage on the day of accident         
               vide policy No.32790/31/2019/948  covering the period w.e.f.         
               08.08.2018  to midnight  of 07.08.2019.  But prior to that,          
               whether the said respondent No.3                         or          
                                                had any learner’s licence           
               not? In this regard, no documentary evidence could produce by        
               the said respondent before the  Learned Tribunal below and           
               finally, on conclusion of proceeding, Learned Tribunal below in      
               para No.10 of the judgment fastened the liability of payment of      
               compensation  upon the  Insurance Company  with a  direction         
               that  the  Insurance Company    shall pay  the  amount   of          
               compensation  upon  the  respondent-claimant-petitioners and         
               thereafter shall recover the same from the owner-cum-rider of        
               the vehicle i.e. offending bike. There is no contrary evidence on    
               record that on the alleged day he was unable to ride/drive any       
               vehicle.                                                             
               15.          More so, from  the policy document, it appears          
               that the alleged offending vehicle was nothing but a motor bike,     
               so, Learned Tribunal below rightly and reasonably in para 10 of      
               the judgment  and award relied upon the judgme                       
                                                             nt of Hon’ble          
               Supreme  Court reported in AIR 2011 SC 1234  (Kusum   Lata           
               & Ors  vs. Satbir and Ors.) and fastened the liability upon the      
               Insurance Company  with direction to recover the amount from         
               the owner-cum-driver. In this regard,                                
                                                  Hon’ble Supreme Court of          
               India in another case reported in AIR 2011 SC 1234 in Pappu          
               and  Ors. v. Vinod Kumar  Lamba  and anr. dated 19.01.2018           

                                           Page 13 of 16                            
               reported in (2018) 3 SCC 208, wherein in para Nos.13, 16, 17         
               and 19,                      observed as under:                      
                       Hon’ble the Apex Court                                       
                                     “13. In the present case, Respondent 1 owner   
                                     of the offending vehicle merely raised a vague 
                                     plea in the written statement that the         
                                     offending vehicle No. DIL 5955 was being       
                                     driven by a person having valid driving        
                                     licence. He did not disclose the name of the   
                                     driver and  his other details. Besides,        
                                     Respondent 1 did not enter the witness box     
                                     or examine any witness in support of this      
                                     plea. Respondent 2 insurance company in the    
                                     written statement has plainly refuted that     
                                     plea and also asserted that the offending      
                                     vehicle was not driven by an authorised        
                                     person and  having valid driving licence.      
                                     Respondent 1 owner of the offending vehicle    
                                     did not produce any evidence except a driving  
                                     licence of one Joginder Singh, without any     
                                     specific stand taken in the pleadings or in the
                                     evidence that the same Joginder Singh was,     
                                     in fact, authorised to drive the vehicle in    
                                     question at the relevant time. Only then       
                                     would onus shift, requiring Respondent 2       
                                     insurance company to rebut such evidence       
                                     and to produce other evidence to substantiate  
                                     its defence. Merely producing a  valid         
                                     insurance certificate in respect of the        
                                     offending truck was   not enough  for          
                                     Respondent 1 to make the insurance company     
                                     liable to discharge his liability arising from 
                                     rash and negligent driving by the driver of his
                                     vehicle. The insurance company can be          
                                     fastened with the liability on the basis of a  
                                     valid insurance policy only after the basic    
                                     facts are pleaded and established by the       
                                     owner  of the offending vehicle that the       
                                     vehicle was not only duly insured but also     
                                     that it was driven by an authorised person     
                                     having a  valid driving licence. Without       
                                     disclosing the name of the driver in the       
                                     written statement or producing any evidence    
                                     to substantiate the fact that the copy of the  
                                     driving licence produced in support was of a   
                                     person who, in fact, was authorised to drive   
                                     the offending vehicle at the relevant time, the
                                     owner of the vehicle cannot be said to have    
                                     extricated himself from his liability. The     
                                     insurance company would become liable only     
                                     after such foundational facts are pleaded and  
                                     proved by the owner of the offending vehicle.  
                                     16. The next question is: whether in the fact  
                                     situation of this case the insurance company   
                                     can be and ought to be directed to pay the     
                                     claim amount, with liberty to recover the      
                                     same  from  the owner  of  the vehicle         
                                     (Respondent 1)?                                
                                     17. This issue has been answered in National   
                                     Insurance Co. Ltd.:(2004) 3 SCC 297. In that   
                                     case, it was contended by the insurance        
                                     company that once the defence taken by the     
                                     insurer is accepted by the Tribunal, it is     

                                           Page 14 of 16                            
                                     bound to discharge the insurer and fix the     
                                     liability only on the owner and/or the driver  
                                     of the vehicle. However, this Court held that  
                                     even if the insurer succeeds in establishing its
                                     defence, the Tribunal or the court can direct  
                                     the insurance company to pay the award         
                                     amount  to the claimant(s) and, in turn,       
                                     recover the same from the owner of the         
                                     vehicle. The  three-Judge Bench, after         
                                     analysing the earlier decisions on the point,  
                                     held that there was no reason to deviate from  
                                     the said well-settled principle. In para 107,  
                                     the Court then observed thus: (SCC p. 340)     
                                          “107. We may, however, hasten to add      
                                          that the Tribunal and the court must,     
                                          however, exercise their jurisdiction to   
                                          issue  such   a   direction upon          
                                          consideration of the  facts  and          
                                          circumstances of each case and in the     
                                          event such a direction has been issued,   
                                          despite arriving at a finding of fact to  
                                          the effect that the insurer has been      
                                          able to establish that the insured has    
                                          committed a breach of contract of         
                                          insurance as envisaged under sub-         
                                          clause (ii) of clause (a) of sub-section  
                                          (2) of Section 149 of the Act, the        
                                          insurance company shall be entitled to    
                                          realise the awarded amount from the       
                                          owner or driver of the vehicle, as the    
                                          case may be, in execution of the same     
                                          award having regard to the provisions     
                                          of Sections 165 and 168 of the Act.       
                                          However, in the event, having regard to   
                                          the limited scope of inquiry in the       
                                          proceedings before the Tribunal it had    
                                          not been able to do so, the insurance     
                                          company may initiate a separate action    
                                          therefor against the owner or the         
                                          driver of the vehicle or both, as the     
                                          case may be. Those exceptional cases      
                                          may arise when the evidence becomes       
                                          available to or comes to the notice of    
                                          the insurer at a subsequent stage or for  
                                          one reason or the other, the insurer      
                                          was not given an opportunity to defend    
                                          at all. Such a course of action may also  
                                          be  resorted to when a  fraud or          
                                          collusion between the victim and the      
                                          owner of the vehicle is detected or       
                                          comes to the knowledge of the insurer     
                                          at a later stage.”                        
                                     19. In the present case, the owner of the      
                                     vehicle (Respondent 1) had produced the        
                                     insurance certificate indicating that Vehicle  
                                     No. DIL 5955 was comprehensively insured       
                                     by Respondent 2 (insurance company) for        
                                     unlimited liability. Applying the dictum in    
                                     National Insurance Co. Ltd.:(2004) 3 SCC       
                                     297, to subserve the ends of justice, the      
                                     insurer (Respondent 2) shall pay the claim     
                                     amount  awarded by the Tribunal to the         
                                     appellants in the first instance, with liberty to
                                     recover the same from the owner of the         
                                     vehicle (Respondent 1) in accordance with      
                                     law.”                                          

                                           Page 15 of 16                            
                            From the aforesaid principle of law laid down by        
               the Hon’ble Apex Court, it also appears that Hon’ble the Apex        
               Court  in the aforenoted judgment   also observed that the           
               Insurance Company  shall pay the claim amount as awarded by          
               the Tribunal to the respondent-claimant-petitioner in the first      
               instance with liberty to recover the same in accordance with law     
               from the owner/rider of the bike. The said principle of law is       
               also affirmed by the judgment referred by Learned Counsel for        
               the appellant at the time of hearing.                                
               16.          Here, in the  case  at hand  as  it is already          
               discussed that on the alleged day, the offending bike had valid      
               insurance coverage although  the respondent No.3 could not           
               adduce any valid driving licence on the date of alleged accident     
               in support of his defence before the Learned Tribunal below. So,     
               in my considered view, Learned Tribunal below rightly decided        
               the matter on merit and  fastened the liability of payment of        
               compensation  upon  the  appellant-Insurance Company   with          
               further direction to recover the same from the owner  after          
               applying the principle of pay and recover policy. Situated thus,     
               it appears that there is no  infirmity and perversity in the         
               judgment of the Learned Tribunal below.                              
               17.          In the result, the appeal filed by the appellant        
               stands dismissed being  devoid of merit. The judgment  and           
                                                                       st           
               award  dated  26.09.2023   delivered by  Learned  MAC(1  ),          
               Unakoti  District, Kailashahar  in  connection  with  case           

                                           Page 16 of 16                            
               No.T.S(MAC)  No.9 of 2022 is hereby upheld and accordingly it        
               is affirmed. The appellant-Insurance Company  shall pay the          
               aforesaid amount within a period of 8(eight) weeks from the          
               date of receipt of copy of the judgment and  to deposit the          
               amount   to the  Learned  Tribunal  below  for disbursal in          
               accordance with the judgment of the Learned Tribunal below.          
                            With this observation, the appeal stands disposed       
               of on contest.                                                       
                            Send  down  the  LCR  along  with  a  copy  of          
               judgment.                                                            
                            Pending  application(s), if any,  also stands           
               disposed of.                                                         
                                                                    JUDGE           
        MOUMITA   Digitally signed by MOUMITA                                       
                  DATTA                                                             
        DATTA     Date: 2024.08.01 16:41:36                                         
                  -07'00'                                                           
        Deepshikha