MINU ROUT Vs. SATYA PRADYUMNA MOHAPATRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) LEAVE granted.

(2.) THIS appeal is filed by the appellants who were claimants before the Additional District Judge-cum-4th MACT, Jagatsinghpur, Odisha (in short 'the Tribunal ') in MAC case No.6 of 2005, questioning the correctness of the judgment and award dated 27.07.2011 passed by the High Court of Orissa, Cuttack in MACA No. 594 of 2010, wherein it has affirmed the judgment and award of the Tribunal holding that the award of compensation of Rs.2,00,000/- in favour of the appellants along with interest at the rate of 6% per annum from the date of filing of the claim application till actual payment, is legal and valid and the same is not vitiated either on account of impropriety or illegality. The correctness of the same is challenged in this appeal urging certain relevant facts and grounds.

(3.) DURING the time of hearing, the owner of the truck was arrayed as a party and was served with notice but he remained absent and did not contest the proceedings. Respondent No. 1, the driver also did not file any counter statement despite notice being served on him and he was set ex-parte. Respondent No.2, the New India Assurance Company filed its statement of counter opposing the claim of the appellants taking the plea that the claim petition is not maintainable and the claim is barred by limitation. The averments regarding the age and income of the deceased were denied, and so also, the averments regarding the manner in which the accident occurred as described in the claim petition. It was pleaded by the Insurance Company that the averments made by the appellants in the claim petition regarding the manner in which the accident took place are false and fabricated. They have claimed that the accident was not due to sole negligence of the driver of the offending truck, by placing strong reliance upon the charge-sheet filed by the Dharmasala police, who seized both the vehicles. Therefore, it is stated that both the drivers of the car and the truck were responsible for causing accident amounting to contributory negligence on the part of the deceased Susil Rout. The accident occurred on account of head on collision between the two vehicles. Due to the death of the deceased- husband of the first appellant, the charge-sheet submitted against him was deleted.