Motor Vehicles Act

The widowed wife of a deceased LIC employee and her son applied for employment on compassionate grounds after the employee's death. The corporation rejected the wife's claim due to her exceeding the age limit and rejected the son's claim citing a circular that barred compassionate appointments when any family member wa…

Padmakar More died in a bus accident in 1978, and his father, widow, and minor daughter filed a claim for compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act. The Motor Accidents Claim Tribunal awarded Rs 26,000, fixing the family’s monthly dependency at Rs 150 based on an unsubstantiated claim that the deceased was a drunkard, …

Three private operators whose stage‑carriage permits on an inter‑state route were about to expire applied for renewal under section 58 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Simultaneously the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation applied for fresh permits for the same route. Both sets of applications were heard together by t…

The Trade Fair Authority of India Employees' Union demanded housing, regularisation of casual workers and wage revision, but management failed to act, leading the Union to call a one‑day strike on 21 January 1987 after a denied request for a general body meeting. Management responded by suspending and later dismissing …

The respondent, Tapan Kumar Biswas, owned a truck whose fitness certificate was cancelled after a severe accident in January 1991. He filed an off‑road intimation for the period 1991 but failed to submit any intimation for 1992‑1995. The Taxing Officer demanded motor‑vehicle tax for those years, which the respondent co…

A pick‑up van owned by a partnership firm was involved in a road accident that killed one passenger and injured another. The victims' heirs claimed compensation, and the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs.75,000 and Rs.3,000 respectively. The insurer argued that the policy was void because the driver, a partner …

The appellant, Rama Bai, sought compensation for the death of her son in a motor vehicle accident where the driver, respondent No.1, lacked a valid licence. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs.3 lakh, which the High Court enhanced to Rs.5,33,600 but held the insurer, respondent No.3, not liable, directing pay…

The case concerned the abduction of businessman Jayendra Mahendra Tripathi in January 1994, for which a ransom was demanded. A co‑accused, A‑9, gave a detailed confession to the police under Section 15 of the TADA Act, which was later retracted. The Supreme Court held that the confession was recorded in compliance with…

The petitioner, N.K. V. Bros (P) Ltd., owned a stage carriage that, after nightfall, struck an over‑hanging high‑tension wire, killing eight passengers and injuring many others. The driver was tried under IPC s.304A but was acquitted on the ground that the accident was an act of God. The Accident Claims Tribunal, apply…

In M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (Writ Petition (C) No.13029 of 1985), the Supreme Court issued comprehensive directions under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Motor Vehicles Rules, 1993 to improve road safety and curb environmental pollution. The Court ordered verification of all commercial licences issued between …

The Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation retired Babu Lal Jangir compulsorily in 2002 under its standing orders after a screening committee found his service record unsatisfactory. Jangir challenged the retirement, arguing that the misconduct cited dated from 1978‑1990 was too old and that his more recent record …

S. Suresh, a 25‑year‑old lorry driver, lost his right leg below the knee in a road accident. He claimed compensation under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923, and the Commissioner awarded Rs 5,20,584, finding a 100% loss of earning capacity as a driver. The insurer appealed; the Karnataka High Court reduced the award…

The appellant's truck was seized by police for non‑payment of tax under the Motor Vehicles Act. The trial court held the seizure illegal due to the officer's alleged incompetence but denied damages, citing the appellant's contributory negligence. The High Court reversed, finding the officer competent to seize and affir…

Basthi Kasim Saheb, travelling in a Mysore State Road Transport Corporation bus, was injured in an accident on 2 July 1964 when the driver failed to slow down while avoiding a bullock‑cart and entered a muddy section of the road, causing the bus to overturn. The claimant sought Rs.75,000 compensation under s.166 of the…

The appeals concerned the validity of the West Bengal and Orissa governments' decision to cancel earlier Notices Inviting Tenders (NIT) for High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) and to issue new NITs that omitted the conditions of foreign experience and minimum turnover, which had been upheld as essential in Associa…

Jai Prakash Associates Ltd. (JAL) entered into a contract with Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd. (THDC) that contained General Conditions of Contract (GCC) clauses 50 and 51 expressly prohibiting any interest on monies due. An arbitral tribunal under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 awarded the appella…

The Supreme Court considered a petition filed under Article 32 seeking clarification on the constitution of an Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority for the National Capital Region (NCR) under Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. The Court examined whether the earlier order of 13 Septem…

The Kurwai Nagar Panchayat constructed a bus stand on its own land and, invoking powers under the Madhya Pradesh Municipalities Act, imposed a parking fee of Rs 20 per day or Rs 600 per month on vehicle owners. The fee was challenged through a writ petition, which the High Court dismissed, but a Division Bench later se…

The appellant, Bishwajit Dey, owned a truck that was stopped at a police checkpoint in Assam where two soap boxes containing 24.8 g of heroin were discovered. The drug was found in the vehicle but the charge‑sheet named only a third‑party occupant, Md Dimpul Ali, as the accused; the owner and driver were not alleged to…

The employee of J&P Coats was struck by his employer's lorry while riding his bicycle on a public road 1 km from the factory, fifteen minutes before his shift began. He claimed disability benefits under the Employees' State Insurance Act, arguing that the injury occurred in the course of his employment. The corporation…

The mother of a deceased driver filed a claim under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923, and the Commissioner awarded Rs.4,48,000 as compensation. The insurer appealed, and the Karnataka High Court set aside the award, holding that the relationship between the deceased and his brother, the vehicle owner, was not satis…

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest writ under Article 32 filed by the registered society "Common Cause" seeking relief for under‑trial prisoners and accused persons in pending criminal matters. The Court observed that prolonged pendency of criminal cases infringes the right to life and liberty guaranteed b…