Allahabad High Court
NARENDRA KUMAR AND 2 OTHERSversusSOHAN SINGH AND 2 OTHERS
- Decided
- Bench
- ROHIT RANJAN AGARWAL
Holding
The Court directed the Motor Accident Claim Tribunal to decide the pending claim within six months, without deciding the merits of the petition.
Summary
The petitioners filed a writ petition seeking a direction to the Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT) in Agra to expedite the disposal of a pending claim (MACT No. 371 of 2019) under Section 166 read with Section 140 of the Motor Vehicles Act. The petitioners argued that the claim had been pending since 2019 and that further procedural steps such as filing a counter‑affidavit or issuing notice would serve no useful purpose. The Court, after considering the submission, ordered that the MACT decide the pending claim within six months of the production of the certified copy of the order, after hearing all parties, and clarified that it was not passing any merits‑based decision. Consequently, the writ petition was disposed of without adjudicating the substantive dispute. The order was dated 23 September 2026 and signed by Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal.
Issues considered
- Whether a High Court can issue a direction to a Motor Accident Claim Tribunal to expedite the disposal of a pending claim under Section 166 read with Section 140 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
- Whether the writ petition is maintainable for seeking such a direction without adjudicating the merits of the underlying claim.
Legislation cited
- Motor Vehicles Act — s. 140, 166
Subjects
- writ petition
- Motor Accident Claim Tribunal
- expeditious disposal
- Section 166
- Section 140
- Motor Vehicles Act
- High Court direction
- pending claim
Judgment
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
WRIT - C No. - 38291 of 2026
Narendra Kumar And 2 Others
.....Petitioner(s)
Versus
Sohan Singh And 2 Others
.....Respondent(s)
Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Abhilasha Tiwari, Bhagyashri Maurya,
Kanchan Prajapati, Krishna Mohan Rai
Counsel for Respondent(s) :
Court No. - 9
HON'BLE ROHIT RANJAN AGARWAL, J.
1. This writ petition has been filed with the following prayer:-
"I. Issue necessary direction to the Motor Accident Claim Tribunal Agra for expedite
disposal of the M.A.C. No. 371 of 2019 (Narendra Kumar and others Vs. Sohan Singh
and others) under Section 166 read with Section 140 M.V. Act, expeditiously or within
the stipulated perice as may be fixed by this Hon'ble Court."
2. It is contended by learned counsel for the petitioner that Motor Accident Claims
Petition is pending consideration since 2019 before Motor Accident Claims Tribunal,
Agra.
3. As no useful purpose would be served in keeping the matter pending, or calling for
counter affidavit or issuing notice to the private respondents, the matter is being
disposed of, at the admission stage, with a direction upon court concerned to decide
the pending M.A.C. No. 371 of 2019 (Narendra Kumar and others Vs. Sohan Singh
and others) after hearing all the concerned parties, strictly in accordance with law,
expeditiously, preferably within a period of six months from the date of production of
certified copy of this order.
4. With the aforesaid direction, present writ petition stands disposed of.
5. It is made clear that this Court has not adjudicated the case on merits.
September 23, 2026
A. V. Singh
(Rohit Ranjan Agarwal,J.)
Digitally signed by :-
AJAY VIKRAM SINGH
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
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