Disposed

The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. v. Bhanwar Kanwar

Rajasthan HC2 Sept 2023CMA/1851/2020

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

This Small Cause Civil Misc. Appeal challenges the Tribunal's view that a commercial vehicle liability policy was effective from commencement. The High Court cited precedents establishing that insurance policies become operative from the specific time mentioned, not the previous midnight. The Court remitted the matter for final determination.

What did the court decide?

The appeal allowed in part; the matter remanded to the Tribunal for final decision in accordance with the law.

The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. Vs Bhanwar Kanwar — Insurance | Rajasthan HC (2023)

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[2023:RJ-JD:27796]

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HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT JODHPUR

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S.B. Civil Misc. Appeal No. 1851/2020

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The New India Assurance Co. Ltd., TP Hub, Abhay Chambers, Jalori Gate, Jodhpur.

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----Appellant

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Versus

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Smt. Bhanwar Kanwar W/o Late Sh. Bhanwar Singh., B/c Rajput, R/o Village Jhunjawato Ki Dhani, Balesar Satta, District Jodhpur.

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Jagdish Singh S/o Late Sh. Bhanwar Singh, Minor Through His Natural Guardian Mother Smt. Bhanwar Kanwar, B/c Rajput, R/o Village Jhunjawato Ki Dhani, Balesar Satta, District Jodhpur.

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Bhura Ram S/o Gaja Ram Mali, R/o Panwaro Ka Bera, Balesar Satta, District Jodhpur (Owner)

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Tila Ram S/o Babu Ram Mali, R/o Village Balesar Satta, District Jodhpur (Driver)

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----Respondents

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For Appellant(s) : Mr. Jagdish Chandra Vyas For Respondent(s) : None Present

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HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MADAN GOPAL VYAS

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Judgment

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02/09/2023

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/kkjk 173 eksVj okgu vf/kfu;e] 1988 ds rgr ;g vihy vihykFkhZ vizkFkhZ chek daiuh us fo}ku U;k;k/kh'k] eksVj;ku nq?kZVuk nkok vf/kdj.k] tks/kiqj egkuxj ds }kjk Dyse ;kfpdk la[;k 309@2018( Jherh Hkaoj daoj vkfn cuke Hkwjkjke vkfn esa izLrqr /kkjk 140 eksVj okgu vf/kfu;e ds izkFkZuk i= esa ikfjr vkns'k fnukad 09-09-2020 ds fo#) izLrqr dh gS] ftlds }kjk izR;FkhZx.k DysesaV dk /kkjk 140 eksVj okgu vf/kfu;e

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(2 of 5) [CMA-1851/2020]

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[2023:RJ-JD:27796]

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dk izkFkZuk i= Lohdkj fd;k x;k] ftlls O;fFkr gksdj ;g vihy izLrqr dh xbZ gSA

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02eSaus ;ksX; vf/koDrk vihykFkhZ dh cgl lquh ,oa vfHkys[k dk voyksdu fd;kA

¶21

03vihykFkhZ ds ;ksX; vf/koDrk us ;g rdZ fn;k fd nq?kZVuk ds le; mYya?kudkjh okgu vihykFkhZ ds ;gka chfer ugha Fkk] blfy, chek daiuh dk izfrdj jkf'k vnk;xh gsrq dksbZ nkf;Ro ugha curk gSA bl laca/k esa chek daiuh us vius tokc esa vkifRr vafdr dh gS] ysfdu fo}ku vf/kdj.k us ml vkifRr ij dksbZ fu"d"kZ ugha fn;k gS] blfy, vk{ksfir vkns'k vikLr fd, tkus dk fuosnu fd;kA mUgksaus vius bu rdksZa dh iqf"V esa fuEufyf[kr uthjsa is'k dh] ftudk eSaus voyksdu fd;k %&

¶22

(2007) 7 SCC 786: National Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Sobina Iakai & Others.

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2000 ACJ 40: New India Assurance Co. Ltd. v. Sita Bai and others

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04eSaus mi;qZDr rdksZa ij fopkj fd;kA mYys[kuh; gS fd izR;FkhZx.k DysesaV us vius Dyse izkFkZuk i= ds iSjk la[;k 08 esa fuEufyf[kr vfHkopu vafdr fd, gSa %&

¶25

Þ8- nq?kZVuk dk LFkku] fnuk¡d vkSj le; & pu.kkjke iq= Qqlkje ekyh dh Hkksfe;k th {ks= fLFkr [kku esa A iqfyl Fkkuk ckyslj ds {ks=kf/kdj esa fnukad 08-08-2017 dks nksigj yxHkx 2&3 ctsAß

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05chek daiuh us vius tokc dh izkjafHkd vkifRr;ksa ds iSjk la[;k

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01 esa fuEufyf[kr vfHkopu vafdr fd, gSa %&

¶28

Þ-1;g gS fd okgu la[;k vkj-ts-19&bZ-,-&3840 tks fd vizkFkhZ la[;k 03 chek dEiuh ds ;gka fnukad 08-08-2017 dks le; 05-07-59 PM ls 07-08-2018 dks le; 11-59-59 PM rd Commercial Vehicle Liability Only Policy ds :i esa tfj;s ikWfylh uEcj

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33130031170200006519 ds rgr okgu Lokeh Hkwjkjke iq= tksxkjke] fuoklh 997] iaokjksa dk csjk] ckyslj lrk] ftyk tks/kiqj ds uke ls chfer FkkA mDr rFkkdfFkr nq?kZVuk fnukad 08-08-2017 dks nksigj 2&3 cts ?kfVr gqbZ gSA ,slh voLFkk esa oDr nq?kZVuk mDr okgu la[;k vkj-ts-19&bZ-,-&3840 vizkFkhZ la[;k 03 chek dEiuh ds ;gka chfer ugha gksus dh voLFkk esa vuko';d i{kdkj cuk;k x;kA ,slh voLFkk esa vizkFkhZ la[;k 03 chek dEiuh dks i{kdkj ls gVk;k tkuk U;k;fgr esa vko';d gSAß

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06-

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chek ikWfylh esa period of cover ds column esa ;g vafdr gS

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fd %&

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	Policy Details
Period of cover:	08/08/2017	05:07:59 PM to
	07/08/2018	11:59:59 PM

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07fo}ku vf/kdj.k us vk{ksfir vkns'k ikfjr djrs le; vihykFkhZ chek daiuh dh mi;qZDr vkifRr ds laca/k esa xq.kkoxq.k ds laca/k esa dksbZ foospu ugha fd;k gSA nq?kZVuk ds le; mYya?kudkjh okgu vihykFkhZ chek daiuh ds ;gka chfer Fkk ;k ugha] ;g gLrxr izdj.k esa chek daiuh dk nkf;Ro fu/kkZfjr djus ds fy, lokZf/kd egRoiw.kZ fopkj.kh; fcanq gS] ysfdu bl fcanq ij fo}ku vf/kdj.k us dksbZ fu"d"kZ ugha nsdj fof/kd ,oa rF;kRed Hkwy dh gSA

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08bl laca/k esa ;ksX; vf/koDrk vihykFkhZ }kjk izLrqr

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(2007) 7 SCC 786: National Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Sobina Iakai

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& Others dh uthj esa ekuuh; mPpre U;k;ky; us iSjk la[;k 15] 18 o 19 esa fuEufyf[kr fl)kar izfrikfnr fd;k gS %&

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" 15 . A three-judge Bench of this Court in National Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Jikhubhai Nathuji Dabhi (1997) 1 SCC 66 has held that in the absence of any specific time mentioned in that behalf, the contract would be operative from the mid-night of the day by operation of provisions of the General Clauses Act. But in view of the special contract mentioned in the insurance policy, it would be operative from the time and date the insurance policy was taken. In that case, the insurance policy was taken at 4.00 p.m. on

[2023:RJ-JD:27796]

[CMA-1851/2020]

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25.10.1983 and the accident had occurred earlier thereto. This Court held that the insurance coverage would not enable the claimant to seek recovery of the amount from the appellant company.

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18 . In J. Kalaivani & Ors. v. K. Sivashankar & Ors. [(JT 2001 (10) SC 396], this Court has reiterated clear enunciation of law. The Court observed that it is the obligation of the Court to look into the contract of insurance to discern whether any particular time has been specified for commencement or expiry of the policy. A very large number of cases have come to our notice where insurance policies are taken immediately after the accidents to get compensation in a clandestine manner.

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19 . In order to curb this widespread mischief of getting insurance policies after the accidents, it is absolutely imperative to clearly hold that the effectiveness of the insurance policy would start from the time and date specifically incorporated in the policy and not from an earlier point of time."

¶48

09blh izdkj ls (2007) 7 SCC 792: New India Assurance Co. Ltd. v. Sita Bai and others dh uthj esa ekuuh; mPpre U;k;ky; us iSjk la[;k 6 esa fuEufyf[kr fl)kar izfrikfnr fd;k gS

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"6. The correctness and applicability of the judgment in Ram Dayal's case, 1990 ACJ 545 (SC), came up for consideration before this Court subsequently in a number of cases. ln New India Assurance Co. Ltd. V. Bhagwati Devi, 1999 ACJ 534 (SC), a three-Judge Bench of this Court relied upon the view taken in National Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Jikubhai Nathuji Dabhi, 1997 ACJ 351 (SC), wherein it had been held that if there is a special contract, mentioning in the policy the time when it was bought, the insurance policy would be operative from that time and not from the previous midnight as was the case in Ram Dayal (supra) where no time from which the insurance policy was to become effective had been mentioned. It was held that should there be no contract to the contrary, an insurance policy becomes operative from the previous midnight, when bought during the day following, but, in cases where there is a mention of the specific time for the purchase of the policy, then a special contract comes into being and the policy becomes effective from the time mentioned in the cover note/the policy itself. The judgment in Jikubhai's case (supra) has been subsequently followed in Oriental

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[CMA-1851/2020]

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Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Sunita Rathi 1998 ACJ 121 (SC), by a three-Judge Bench of this Court also. "

¶55

10dqy feykdj mi;qZDr foospu ds ifj.kkeLo:i ;g izdj.k fo}ku vf/kdj.k dks iqu% lquokbZ dj fof/kuqlkj leqfpr vkns'k ikfjr djus gsrq izfrizsf"kr fd;k tkuk U;k;ksfpr izrhr gksrk gSA

¶56

11ifj.kker% vihykFkhZ chek daiuh dh vksj ls izLrqr ;g vihy Lohdkj dh tkdj fo}ku U;k;k/kh'k] eksVj;ku nq?kZVuk nkok vf/kdj.k] tks/kiqj egkuxj ds }kjk Dyse ;kfpdk la[;k 309@2018 Jherh Hkaoj daoj vkfn cuke Hkwjkjke vkfn esa /kkjk 140 eksVj okgu vf/kfu;e ds izkFkZuk i= esa ikfjr vkns'k fnukad 09-09-2020 dks vikLr fd;k tkrk gS vkSj ;g izdj.k fo}ku vf/kdj.k dks bl funsZ'k ds lkFk izfrizsf"kr fd;k tkrk gS fd fo}ku vf/kdj.k nksuksa i{kksa dks lquokbZ dk leqfpr volj nsdj u, fljs ls fof/kuqlkj leqfpr vkns'k ikfjr djsaA

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12bl vkns'k dh ,d izfr fo}ku vf/kdj.k dks tfj, E-mail/Fax 'kh?kz izsf"kr gksA

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13i{kdkjksa dks funsZf'kr fd;k tkrk gS fd os fo}ku U;k;k/kh'k] eksVj;ku nq?kZVuk nkok vf/kdj.k] tks/kiqj egkuxj ds le{k fnukad 20-09-2023 dks mifLFkr gksaA

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14bl vihy ds fuLrkj.k ds lkFk gh bl vihy ls lacaf/kr fofo/k nhokuh LFkxu ;kfpdk la[;k 1694@2020 dks Hkh mi;qZDrkuqlkj fuLrkfjr fd;k tkrk gSA

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(MADAN GOPAL VYAS),J

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64-Rajendra/-

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;g vkns'[email protected]; Hkkjrh; lafo/kku ds vuqPNsn 348

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(i) ds rgr Hkkjr ljdkj dh vf/klwpuk jkti= la[;k

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1] fnuakd 2 tuojh 1999 ,o a jktLFkku jkti= fnukafdr 10-3-1971 ds rgr fgUnh Hkk"kk ds iz;ksx dk s izkf/kd`r fd, tkus ds ifj.kkeLo:i fgUnh Hkk"kk esa fy[kk;k x;kA

The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. v. Bhanwar Kanwar

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. v. Bhanwar Kanwar

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

What the court decided

A compact analysis

Issues for consideration

Cases cited

Statutes considered

Parties & counsel

Coram

Case details

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