High Court Karnataka High Court

The New India Assurance Co Ltd vs Revanna on 25 November, 2008

Karnataka High Court
The New India Assurance Co Ltd vs Revanna on 25 November, 2008
Author: K.L.Manjunath & S.N.Satyanarayana
-1-

IN THE HIGH COURT or KARNATAKA AT BAmgALQA£f;

DATED THIS THE 25" DAY or NOVEMBER 2953 "_ *'

PRESENT,w~-

THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE K ;;MANJUfiAiH ~"*' A

AEAA
THE HON'BLE MA.JUsTIcA's}n,sATYANARAIANA

MISCELLANEOUS F125? AApEAL"Ao.é059/2005 (wc)

BETWEEN:

3' THE NEW INDIA AssUAAN:E CO LTD
REP.€BY;DEVISIONAL»MRNAGER;
DIvIsIQNAL;9FF;CE;" 9
SHYAMANBR B$ILGING
CHAMRAJA9a$,*A ,'~
DAvANAGEAE;x» <,'z_.

NOW REP, BY ITS Q JRX
DIVISIONAL MANAGER
DIVISIONAL OFFICE # 8, #47,

,, GG?AL c0MPLEx;.H_. .....
"=«BAzAAR=sTAET
V'. EESHWANTHPUR,

'_'aANGALaRE 55Q»o22.

~.'.: "fs_';' . APPELLANT

'33w (3y s:i--GaAAAA$ANA AAO, ADV)

A*1= REVANNA
'"»H_s/o NINGAPPA
" AGED ABOUT 43 YRS,
R/AT MUTTON MARKET ROAD,
HIRIYUR TQ.,



CHI TRADURGA DI S T,

2 LAKSHMAKKA
W/O REVANNA
AGED ABOUT 36 YRS, _ED
R/AT MUTTON MARKET RoAD,J
HIRIYUR TQ., 1
CHITRADURGA DIsI,

3 N AJEEMUNISSA a_*,
w/0 ERIE K N SHREIDLLA a_ I
OWNER OF LORRY EERIRs~~.4= ,
REGISTRATION NG,KAmO&,Aw1?5€,"a_
P J HALLI, No.80/12; 2,5; Ex"
5" MAIN, JABBAR EEAK,v_
BANGALORE 560 003."w; _ ,mx -«,'

.='x.* 2 §~= "VI;;;-REspoNDERIs
(By Sri MEDUERRRGDDDR R RREIE FOR R1 & 2)

THIS .MER; I3,'FiLED--fU/S 30 (1) OF THE
RoRKMER¥s cDMDERsRTioRf ACT .AGAINST THE JUDGMENT
AND RRARD_'.DT-_'D7;I}2oo5 PASSED IN CASE
No.wcRiEc/cR--21[2oo3: ow THE FILE DE THE LABOUR

 OFFICfiR1% "AND ""toMMIssIDNER FOR WURKMEN
'<cDMRENsRI1oR,j'CEIIRADDRGA, AWARDINGr COMPENSATION

oE_*35.3,3R,5?d}« WITH INTEREST AT 12% AND
DIREcIING~_EHE APPELLANT HEREIN TO DEPOSIT THE

L°V._fRIs APPEAL CDMIRG ow FOR ADISSIDN THIS

"u, JDRE,.MRNuDNAEH'J., DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:



JUDGMENT

Challenging the order and

Commissioner for Workinen’_s CQIta’–.ensatiwon§

Chitradurga, dated 7.1.2905 inhicase ;~:c;9…¢R.’21’)fé’t3io3″‘,

the Insurance Company appeal on
two grounds that, relationship of
employer and employ4e§~h.%,é§L.¢ieen__.’p:tl1.e:e.deceased Mylari
and the widow of late
K.N.Shafi-ujixllap determination of
compen.=sat_i”o.ni.’ the income of the
deceas_ed–. ‘ per month is on higher
Side. ‘ 4 i V. V

not in dispute that Mylari, the son

1 and 2 died in a road traffic

acciden~t_’fwAhile discharging his duties as a

V’~».<:lean'e.r__i3on 11.11.2002 at 1.09 pm., on the way to

"'-x_"r§u_blii_A.'.'uru near Iddalanagenahalli gate on account

the rash and negligent driving of the lorry.

According to the respondents 1 and 2, their son

was discharging his dutiesas a cleaner and died

5/

while on duty. According to them, the aééeésédk

was earning a sum of Rs.4,GOO/~ pert month Rae?

salary" in addition to a 'batta?_ of: Re:3flJ;Vdper»

day. The deceased was aged about 18 yeags, 7rfiéT.

owner of the vehicle Ajoemunisa did not contest
the case. The appellant insdrance coeoanf filed
its objections contehdfing that since the owner of
the vehicle K.1f{.Shafiauli"la ""cn'A'*:é:2§"1o.2oo2 and
the accident;_"'hjaaa'V ole-:c1irj:.'ed':"' :§fi¢."'l1.1.~;'11.2oo2 i.e..
subsequent to the death of the holicy holder and
the;efqré}"t§e_i§g§:§n§e cohfiahy is not liable to
pay comheneationim It eaa also contended that the

deceased Qaa not gettihg a salary of R5.4,000/-

s,pervmenth and a 'hatta' of Rs.50/– per day. The

d:Commisaloner; by rejecting the- contention of the

ahpeilanthhfherein has held that there was

V.relationahip of employer and employee between the

u""lhdeceaaed"and Ajeemunisa even though the owner of

4ltheh"?ehicle K.N.Shafiulla died prior to the

hfl"aacldent. It was also held that the deceased was

uh"~oetting a salary of Rs.3,000/– and based on the

V

same by taking the factor in terms tcfg the

Schedule to the Workmen's Compensation_§ct{ii9§3fn

awarded compensation of Rs.3,39,5?0[F,VhQ«$hiew

judgment and award is called in question in thie

appeal.

3. The main’ contention rof the” learned
Counsel for the appellant hefoféffifi is since on
the date of..accidenti the “owngf«¢§f the vehicle

Shafiulla “fiasi hotj alive fthere cannot be a

relationehie of emplofier_and employee between the
deceased and–the owner of the vehicle, Shafiulla

and the liability fixed on the insurance company

~”.Mha§ltQW§G.set aside. He also contends that no

i} positive evidence has been let in to show that

the deceeeed Qas getting a sum of Rs.3,00G/* per

a month as éalazy.

l4. We are unable to accede to the

l’~contentions for the following reasons.

Admittedly the policy is issued wto qthe .

vehicle covering the risk of the accident.’ It iea

no doubt true that the vehicle of the oener.diedx

on 22.10.2002 and the acaiaéntt oéefirrednfofi”

11.11.2902 within twenty –daya from ‘the: date fiof
death of the owner fiof the Efiehiolel h*After the
death of Shafiulla hie wife oelhd the legal heir
has been arrayefi he ¢”paftY;@f,£hi%dhot the case
of Ajeemunleé«fi%hfitfiKtheJ a§¢é§§§a’ was not an
employee on her and heh htebana. When deceased
had beenmvienploged Ldfirlor;lWto the death of
Shafiulla; even attefathtvdeath of Shafiulla his

relationship with Ajeemuniea would continue as an

‘”emplofer and emoloyee. As etated earlier, when

the Gehicle is insured and it does not cover the

personal riak of Shafiulla, we are of the opinion

5_ that the firet contention urged by the appellant

“*.fiaSxto_beNnegatived.

l5. Insofar as the second contention is

ddooncerned, though it was contended by the

gj