RAMGOPAL Vs. HANEEF KHAN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This order shall govern in M.A. No. 1283/2011, M.A. No. 2545/2011, M.A. No. 2551/2011, M.A. No. 2556/2011, M.A. No. 2562/2011, M.A. No. 2564/2011, M.A. No. 2566/2011, M.A. No. 2573/2011, M.A. No. 3593/2011, M.A. No. 4873/2011, M.A. No. 30/2012, M.A. No. 33/2012, M.A. No. 34/2012, M.A. No. 36/2012, M.A. No. 38/2012, M.A. No. 45/2012, M.A. No. 1492/2012, M.A. No. 2452/2012, M.A. No. 642/2013, M.A. No. 668/2013, M.A. No. 669/2013, M.A. No. 671/2013, M.A. No. 672/2013, M.A. No. 673/2013, M.A. No. 674/2013, M.A. No. 675/2013, M.A. No. 676/2013, M.A. No. 679/2013, M.A. No. 680/2013, M.A. No 687/2013, M.A. No. 688/2013, M.A. No. 689/2013, M.A. No. 690/2013, M.A. No. 692/2013, M.A. No. 693/2013, M.A. No. 696/2013, M.A. No. 699/2013, M.A. No. 700/2013, M.A. No. 701/2013, M.A. No. 704/2013, M.A. No. 705/2013, M.A. No. 707/2013, M.A. No. 709/2013, M.A. No. 710/2013, M.A. No. 711/2013; M.A. No. 712/2013, M.A. No. 713/2013, M.A. No. 715/2013, M.A. No. 724/2013, M.A. No. 725/2013, M.A. No. 726/2013, M.A. No. 733/2013, M.A. No. 734/2013, M.A. No. 735/2013, M.A. No. 737/2013, M.A. No. 738/2013, M.A. No. 739/2013, M.A. No. 740/2013, M.A. No. 741/2013, M.A. No. 743/2013, M.A. No. 744/2013, M.A. No. 745/2013, M.A. No. 746/2013, M.A. No. 747/2013, M.A. No. 748/2013, M.A. No. 751/2013, M.A. No. 756/2013, M.A. No. 757/2013, M.A. No. 758/2013, M.A. No. 759/2013, M.A. No. 761/2013, M.A. No. 763/2013, M.A. No., 764/2013, M.A. No. 766/2013, M.A. No. 769/2013, M.A. No. 770/2013, M.A. No. 773/2013, M.A. No. 774/2013,M.A. No. 776/2013, M.A. No. 777/2013, M.A. No. 778/2013, M.A. No. 779/2013, M.A. No. 780/2013, M.A. No. 781/2013, M.A. No. 783/2013, M.A. No. 784/2013.M.A. No. 785/2013, M.A. No. 786/2013, M.A. No. 787/2013, M.A. No. 788/2013, M.A. No. 790/2013, M.A. No. 792/2013, M.A. No. 793/2013, M.A. No. 794/2013, M.A. No. 795/2013, M.A. No. 797/2013, M.A. No. 798/2013, M.A. No. 800/2013, M.A. No. 801/2013, M.A. No. 804/2013, M.A. No. 805/2013, M.A. No. 806/2013, M.A. No. 807/2013, M.A. No. 810/2013, M.A. No. 811/2013, M.A. No. 812/2013, M.A. No. 813/2013, M.A. No. 814/2013, M.A. No. 816/2013, M.A. No. 817/2013, M.A. No. 818/2013, M.A. No. 819/2013, M.A. No. 821/2013, M.A. No. 823/2013, M.A. No. 824/2013, M.A. No. 825/2013, M.A. No. 826/2013, M.A. No. 830/2013, M.A. No. 237/2011, M.A. No. 365/2013, M.A. No. 47/2012, M.A. No. 51/2012, M.A. No. 56/2012, M.A. No. 60/2012, M.A. No. 61/2012, M.A. No. 62/2012, M.A. No. 63/2012, M.A. No. 64/2012, M.A. No. 66/2012, M.A. No. 67/2012, M.A. No. 69/2012, M.A. No. 73/2012, M.A. No. 75/2012, M.A. No. 76/2012, M.A. No. 77/2012, M.A. No. 789/2013, M.A. No. 822/2013, M.A. No. 827/2013, M.A. No. 828/2013, M.A. No. 829/2013, M.A. No. 831/2013, M.A. No. 832/2013, M.A. No. 833/2013, M.A. No. 834/2013, M.A. No. 835/2013, M.A. No. 836/2013, M.A. No. 838/2013; M.A. No. 840/2013, M.A. No. 842/2013, M.A. No. 843/2013, M.A. No. 844/2013, M.A. No. 845/2013, M.A. No. 847/2013, M.A. No. 852/2013, M.A. No. 855/2013, M.A. No. 857/2013, M.A. No. 858/2013, M.A. No. 859/2013, M.A. No. 860/2013 & M.A. No. 78/2012. Arguments heard on the question as to what amount of Court Fee is payable on an appeal filed under section 173 of the Motor Vehicles Act for enhancement of compensation against the award passed by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal after the amendment of the II Schedule of the Court Fees Act, 1870 in its application to the State of Madhya Pradesh.

(2.) It has been argued on behalf of the learned counsel for the appellants that after coming into force of the Second Amendment in the Court Fees Act by way of Madhya Pradesh Amendment Act therein vide Court Fees (Madhya Pradesh) Amendment Act, 2012, the Court fee on appeal filed in the year 2013 arising out of an accident claim case except for those accidents claim case filed prior to 2nd of April, 2008 is payable only @ 2.5% and not @ 10% as was contemplated in the first State Amendment of the Court Fees Act by the State of Madhya Pradesh vide first amendment, i.e. the Court Fees (M.P.) Amendment Act, 2008.

(3.) I have also heard the learned Advocate General. According to him, the Court Fee on the appeal for enhanced compensation is payable according to the date of filing of the accident claim that is to say, if the claim has been filed prior to 2nd April, 2008 then the fixed Court Fee of Rs. 30/- is payable, however, if the claim has been filed after 2nd April, 2008 and between 9th January, 2013 then the Court Fee shall be payable @ 10% of the enhanced claim. However, if the claim has been filed after 9th January, 2013, the Court Fee shall be payable @ 2.5% of the claim amount. He has relied upon the following judgments:--