{"id":208769,"date":"2010-10-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-10-25T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/minor-marghesh-k-parikh-vs-mayur-h-mehta-on-26-october-2010"},"modified":"2016-12-28T03:33:07","modified_gmt":"2016-12-27T22:03:07","slug":"minor-marghesh-k-parikh-vs-mayur-h-mehta-on-26-october-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/minor-marghesh-k-parikh-vs-mayur-h-mehta-on-26-october-2010","title":{"rendered":"Minor Marghesh K. Parikh vs Mayur H.Mehta on 26 October, 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"docsource_main\">Supreme Court of India<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_title\">Minor Marghesh K. Parikh vs Mayur H.Mehta on 26 October, 2010<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_author\">Author: G Singhvi<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_bench\">Bench: G.S. Singhvi, Asok Kumar Ganguly<\/div>\n<pre>                                                               NON-REPORTABLE\n\n                   IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA\n\n                    CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION\n\n                   CIVIL APPEAL NO.               OF 2010\n                   (Arising out of SLP(C) No.19165 of 2009)\n\n\nMinor Marghesh K. Parikh                                 ........Appellant\n\n                                Versus\n\nDr. Mayur H. Mehta                                       .......Respondent\n\n\n\n                              JUDGMENT\n<\/pre>\n<p>G.S. Singhvi, J.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>1.    Leave granted.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>2.    This appeal is directed against the order of the National Consumer<\/p>\n<p>Disputes Redressal Commission (for short, `the National Commission&#8217;)<\/p>\n<p>whereby the appeal preferred by the respondent under Section 19 of the<\/p>\n<p>Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (for short, `the Act&#8217;) was allowed and the<\/p>\n<p>order passed by the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission,<\/p>\n<p>Gujarat (for short, `the State Commission&#8217;) for payment of compensation of<\/p>\n<p>Rs.5,00,000\/- to the appellant with interest @ 9% per annum was set aside.<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                            2<\/span><\/p>\n<p>3.    The appellant was admitted in the hospital of the respondent on<\/p>\n<p>31.10.1994 with the complaint of loose motions. After some laboratory<\/p>\n<p>tests, the respondent put him on medication and also injected glucose saline<\/p>\n<p>through his right shoulder.    This did not improve the condition of the<\/p>\n<p>appellant, who started vomiting and having loose motions frequently. On<\/p>\n<p>3.11.1994, the respondent is said to have administered glucose saline<\/p>\n<p>through the left foot of the appellant. In the evening, the parents of the<\/p>\n<p>appellant noticed swelling in the toe of his left foot, which was turning<\/p>\n<p>black. This was brought to the notice of the respondent, who stopped the<\/p>\n<p>glucose. On the next day, the parents of the appellant pointed out to the<\/p>\n<p>respondent that blackish discoloration had spread. Thereupon, the appellant<\/p>\n<p>was sent to one Dr. Chudasama, who was known to the respondent. Dr.<\/p>\n<p>Chudasama applied a small cut, removed black coloured fluid from the left<\/p>\n<p>toe of the appellant and gave some medicines. In the morning of 5.11.1994,<\/p>\n<p>it was noticed that the left leg of the appellant had become totally black up<\/p>\n<p>to the knee. Thereupon, he was taken to Vadodara. Dr. Ashwin Bhamar,<\/p>\n<p>who examined the appellant at Vadodara suspected that he had developed<\/p>\n<p>gangrene in his left leg and advised his admission in Bhailal Amin Hospital.<\/p>\n<p>The appellant was operated in that hospital and his left leg was amputated<\/p>\n<p>below the knee.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                              3<\/span><\/p>\n<p>4.    The appellant filed a complaint through his father and claimed<\/p>\n<p>compensation of Rs.10,00,000\/- by alleging negligence on the part of the<\/p>\n<p>respondent. According to the appellant, even though the factum of swelling<\/p>\n<p>of the toe and blackening of the leg was brought to the notice of the<\/p>\n<p>respondent, he did not bother to get the appellant examined through an<\/p>\n<p>expert, which could save his leg.      It was also pleaded that due to the<\/p>\n<p>respondent&#8217;s failure to pay requisite attention, the appellant&#8217;s left leg had to<\/p>\n<p>be amputated below the knee and he will suffer throughout his life.<\/p>\n<p>5.    In the written statement filed by him, the respondent claimed that the<\/p>\n<p>appellant was hospitalized for gastro-enteritis, dehydration acidosis and<\/p>\n<p>septicemia shock and mal-nutrition and anemia and seriousness of the case<\/p>\n<p>was communicated to his father. According to the respondent, treatment<\/p>\n<p>was given to the appellant keeping in view the laboratory reports and no<\/p>\n<p>glucose was administered after 2.11.1994.        The respondent denied the<\/p>\n<p>allegation of negligence and pleaded that he had taken every possible care in<\/p>\n<p>treating the appellant and even got him examined by Dr. Chudasama despite<\/p>\n<p>the fact that his hospital was closed on account of holidays.<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                            4<\/span><\/p>\n<p>6.    The State Commission did not accept the version of the respondent<\/p>\n<p>that the appellant had been brought to his hospital in a serious condition by<\/p>\n<p>observing that if this was so, there was no reason for him to stop medication<\/p>\n<p>and glucose.    The State Commission noted that the case papers were<\/p>\n<p>produced by the respondent after a time gap of 6 years and that too after<\/p>\n<p>cross-examination of the complainant&#8217;s father and vascular surgeon, Dr.<\/p>\n<p>Ashwin Bhamar, who was produced as an expert. The State Commission<\/p>\n<p>further noted that the respondent had not filed the affidavit of Dr.<\/p>\n<p>Chudasama, to whom the appellant is said to have been taken for further<\/p>\n<p>treatment. The State Commission concluded that the respondent had not<\/p>\n<p>exercised reasonable care while treating the appellant and awarded<\/p>\n<p>compensation of Rs.5,00,000\/- with interest at the rate of 9% from the date<\/p>\n<p>of complaint. The relevant portion of the order passed by the State<\/p>\n<p>Commission is extracted below:\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>      &#8220;After completion of oral arguments respondent has submitted<br \/>\n      written arguments of seven pages. In that many quotations<br \/>\n      from medicine text Book and Medical Journals have been cited.<br \/>\n      The crux of that is gangrene can take place because of so many<br \/>\n      reason, because of serious type of dehydration and septicemia<br \/>\n      also it can happen so only because of Glucose bottle this can<br \/>\n      take place this cannot be said. In this case patient had serious<br \/>\n      dehydration that could not be established by respondent.<br \/>\n      Because had that been a reality then the Glucose bottle could<br \/>\n      not be administered inter vein and if the condition of minor<br \/>\n      patient was this much serious then in five days not a single<br \/>\n      laboratory test was carried out that is beyond perception.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                    5<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Moreover, it is mentioned in these quotations that gangrene can<br \/>\nhappen to any leg or hand whereas here it is clear fact that<br \/>\nwhere the bottle was given to the same leg it has happened.<br \/>\nMoreover the Vascular Surgeon Dr. Bhamar says in his cross-<br \/>\nexamination that &#8220;it has not come in my examination that if<br \/>\nthere is vomiting and loose motion it results in gangrene.&#8221;<br \/>\nThus the person like Vascular Surgeon having an experience<br \/>\ngiven contrary opinion to the quotations submitted by the<br \/>\nrespondent. Moreover in his affidavit Dr. Bhamar clearly states<br \/>\nthat in this case because of the Glucose bottles gangrene has<br \/>\ntaken place as against this the respondent has not produced any<br \/>\nopinion of expert doctor or Dr. Chudasama on oath. In our<br \/>\nhonest opinion the value of quotations is negligible as against<br \/>\nthe opinion of expert doctor. Because opinion of expert doctor<br \/>\nexplains these quotations and is given.\n<\/p>\n<p>It is necessary to note here that respondent submits that the<br \/>\ntreatment given by respondent himself and symptoms recorded<br \/>\nby him like swelling, blackness of the skin and in support to the<br \/>\ncondition of the patient at every stage he took advise from Dr.<br \/>\nChudasama but here no affidavit of Dr. Chudasama is<br \/>\nproduced. Therefore the truthfulness of this submission cannot<br \/>\nbe verified. Moreover as stated above after admitting in the<br \/>\nhospital no tests have been carried out that also catches the<br \/>\nattention. Thus what Dr. Chudasama said, was his diagnosis<br \/>\nwhat he had advised when this advise was given these questions<br \/>\nare remaining unanswered.\n<\/p>\n<p>The crux of that is gangrene can take place because of so many<br \/>\nreason, because of serious type of dehydration and septicemia<br \/>\nalso it can happen so only because of Glucose bottle this can<br \/>\ntake place this cannot be said. In this case patient had serious<br \/>\ndehydration that could not be established by respondent.<br \/>\nBecause had that been a reality then the Glucose bottle could<br \/>\nnot be administered inter vein and if the condition of minor<br \/>\npatient was this much serious then in five days not a single<br \/>\nlaboratory test was carried out that it beyond perception.<br \/>\nMoreover it is mentioned in these quotations that gangrene can<br \/>\nhappen to any leg or hand whereas here it is clear fact that<br \/>\nwhere the bottle was given to the same leg it has happened.<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                         6<\/span><\/p>\n<p>      Moreover the Vascular Surgeon Dr. Bhamar says in his cross-<br \/>\n      examination that. &#8220;It has not come in my examination that if<br \/>\n      there is vomiting and loose motion it results in gangrene.&#8221;<br \/>\n      Thus the person like Vascular Surgeon having an experience<br \/>\n      gives contrary opinion to the quotations submitted by the<br \/>\n      respondent. Moreover in his affidavit Dr. Bhamar clearly states<br \/>\n      that in this case because of the Glucose bottles gangrene has<br \/>\n      taken place as against this the respondent has not produced any<br \/>\n      opinion of expert doctor of Dr. Chudasama on oath. In our<br \/>\n      honest opinion the value of quotations is negligible as against<br \/>\n      the opinion of expert doctor. Because opinion of expert doctor<br \/>\n      explains these quotations and is given.\n<\/p>\n<p>      Thus the Glucose bottle was given to the left leg to it swelling<br \/>\n      came and skin became black and that resulted into gangrene<br \/>\n      regarding that no proper action was taken and because of that<br \/>\n      the one and half year old child had to loose leg below the knee<br \/>\n      is proved with support of affidavit of an expert the Vascular<br \/>\n      Surgeon. As against this, respondent has produced his reply<br \/>\n      and only certain quotations. The most important thing is that<br \/>\n      respondent is not caring to produce the affidavit of such<br \/>\n      surgeon Dr. Chudasama whose opinion that was taken.<br \/>\n      Considering all these facts and circumstances as per our honest<br \/>\n      opinion clear cut defective service on the part of respondent is<br \/>\n      established.&#8221;\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>7.    The National Commission allowed the appeal preferred by the<\/p>\n<p>respondent and set aside the order of the State Commission only on the<\/p>\n<p>ground that in his cross-examination, Dr. Ashwin Bhamar admitted that<\/p>\n<p>there could be ten other reasons for gangrene. This is evident from the<\/p>\n<p>following portion of the order of the National Commission:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>      &#8220;Copy of the affidavit of Dr. Bhammar is at pages 121 to 123<br \/>\n      and his cross-examination is at pages 124 &amp; 125 in Vol.IV of<br \/>\n      the paper book. To be noted that besides the affidavit of Dr.<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                          7<\/span><\/p>\n<p>      Bhammar only the affidavit of the father of respondent was<br \/>\n      filed by way of evidence. In this affidavit Dr. Bhammar has<br \/>\n      averred that he has been practicing as vascular surgeon at<br \/>\n      Baroda and has been attending Bhailal Amin General Hospital.<br \/>\n      On 05.11.1994, respondent was brought to him by his father for<br \/>\n      treatment. He found gangrene on his left leg and advised<br \/>\n      amputation of left leg immediately. Reason for gangrene may<br \/>\n      be wrong application of glucose bottle on the left leg. In cross-<br \/>\n      examination, he admitted that there could be 10-12 other<br \/>\n      reasons for gangrene. It did not come to his notice that<br \/>\n      gangrene may occur if a patient has diarrhea and vomiting. In<br \/>\n      this case, he can not definitely say what was the reason for<br \/>\n      gangrene. In the impugned order, the State Commission has<br \/>\n      omitted to refer the admissions made to the said effect by Dr.<br \/>\n      Bhammer. As may be seen from the averments made in<br \/>\n      complaint, the case of the respondent is that wrong application<br \/>\n      of glucose on left leg of on 3.11.1994 had caused gangrene. In<br \/>\n      the written version, the appellant has pleaded that respondent<br \/>\n      was not given any intravenous fluids from 11.30 pm on<br \/>\n      02.11.1994 to 04.11.1994. Assuming this plea to be false and<br \/>\n      accepting the case of the respondent that he was given<br \/>\n      intravenous glucose on 03.11.1994, still in view of the<br \/>\n      admissions referred to above made by Dr. Bhammer, the<br \/>\n      appellant cannot be held guilty of medical negligence. Having<br \/>\n      reached this conclusion the other part of the submission,<br \/>\n      advanced on behalf of the appellant, need not be gone into.<br \/>\n      Order under appeal thus, cannot be legally sustained and<br \/>\n      deserves to be set aside.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>8.    <a href=\"\/doc\/871062\/\">In Jacob Mathew v. State of Punjab<\/a> (2005) 6 SCC 1, a three-Judge<\/p>\n<p>Bench, considered the question whether charges could be framed against the<\/p>\n<p>appellant under Section 304A read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code<\/p>\n<p>on the allegation of negligence. The three-Judge Bench highlighted the<\/p>\n<p>jurisprudential distinction between civil and criminal liability in cases of<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                           8<\/span><\/p>\n<p>medical negligence, considered various facets of negligence by professionals<\/p>\n<p>and laid down several propositions including the following:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>      &#8220;(1) Negligence is the breach of a duty caused by omission to<br \/>\n      do something which a reasonable man guided by those<br \/>\n      considerations which ordinarily regulate the conduct of human<br \/>\n      affairs would do, or doing something which a prudent and<br \/>\n      reasonable man would not do. The definition of negligence as<br \/>\n      given in Law of Torts, Ratanlal &amp; Dhirajlal (edited by Justice<br \/>\n      G.P. Singh), referred to hereinabove, holds good. Negligence<br \/>\n      becomes actionable on account of injury resulting from the act<br \/>\n      or omission amounting to negligence attributable to the person<br \/>\n      sued. The essential components of negligence are three: &#8220;duty&#8221;,<br \/>\n      &#8220;breach&#8221; and &#8220;resulting damage&#8221;.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      (2) Negligence in the context of the medical profession<br \/>\n      necessarily calls for a treatment with a difference. To infer<br \/>\n      rashness or negligence on the part of a professional, in<br \/>\n      particular a doctor, additional considerations apply. A case of<br \/>\n      occupational negligence is different from one of professional<br \/>\n      negligence. A simple lack of care, an error of judgment or an<br \/>\n      accident, is not proof of negligence on the part of a medical<br \/>\n      professional. So long as a doctor follows a practice acceptable<br \/>\n      to the medical profession of that day, he cannot be held liable<br \/>\n      for negligence merely because a better alternative course or<br \/>\n      method of treatment was also available or simply because a<br \/>\n      more skilled doctor would not have chosen to follow or resort<br \/>\n      to that practice or procedure which the accused followed. When<br \/>\n      it comes to the failure of taking precautions, what has to be seen<br \/>\n      is whether those precautions were taken which the ordinary<br \/>\n      experience of men has found to be sufficient; a failure to use<br \/>\n      special or extraordinary precautions which might have<br \/>\n      prevented the particular happening cannot be the standard for<br \/>\n      judging the alleged negligence. So also, the standard of care,<br \/>\n      while assessing the practice as adopted, is judged in the light of<br \/>\n      knowledge available at the time of the incident, and not at the<br \/>\n      date of trial. Similarly, when the charge of negligence arises out<br \/>\n      of failure to use some particular equipment, the charge would<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                            9<\/span><\/p>\n<p>      fail if the equipment was not generally available at that<br \/>\n      particular time (that is, the time of the incident) at which it is<br \/>\n      suggested it should have been used.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      (3) A professional may be held liable for negligence on one<br \/>\n      of the two findings: either he was not possessed of the requisite<br \/>\n      skill which he professed to have possessed, or, he did not<br \/>\n      exercise, with reasonable competence in the given case, the<br \/>\n      skill which he did possess. The standard to be applied for<br \/>\n      judging, whether the person charged has been negligent or not,<br \/>\n      would be that of an ordinary competent person exercising<br \/>\n      ordinary skill in that profession. It is not possible for every<br \/>\n      professional to possess the highest level of expertise or skills in<br \/>\n      that branch which he practices. A highly skilled professional<br \/>\n      may be possessed of better qualities, but that cannot be made<br \/>\n      the basis or the yardstick for judging the performance of the<br \/>\n      professional proceeded against on indictment of negligence.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      (4) The test for determining medical negligence as laid down<br \/>\n      in Bolam case, WLR at p.586 holds good in its applicability in<br \/>\n      India.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      (5) The jurisprudential concept of negligence differs in civil<br \/>\n      and criminal law. What may be negligence in civil law may not<br \/>\n      necessarily be negligence in criminal law. For negligence to<br \/>\n      amount to an offence, the element of mens rea must be shown<br \/>\n      to exist. For an act to amount to criminal negligence, the degree<br \/>\n      of negligence should be much higher i.e. gross or of a very high<br \/>\n      degree. Negligence which is neither gross nor of a higher<br \/>\n      degree may provide a ground for action in civil law but cannot<br \/>\n      form the basis for prosecution.&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>9.    <a href=\"\/doc\/1092676\/\">In Martin F. D&#8217;Souza v. Mohd. Ishfaq<\/a> (2009) 3 SCC 1, a two-Judge<\/p>\n<p>Bench referred to the judgment in Jacob Mathew&#8217;s case and proceeded to<\/p>\n<p>equate criminal complaint against doctor or hospital with a complaint filed<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                           10<\/span><\/p>\n<p>under the Act. This is evident from para 106 of the judgment, which is<\/p>\n<p>extracted below:\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>      &#8220;We, therefore, direct that whenever a complaint is received<br \/>\n      against a doctor or hospital by the Consumer Fora (whether<br \/>\n      District, State or National) or by the criminal court then before<br \/>\n      issuing notice to the doctor or hospital against whom the<br \/>\n      complaint was made the Consumer Forum or the criminal court<br \/>\n      should first refer the matter to a competent doctor or committee<br \/>\n      of doctors, specialised in the field relating to which the medical<br \/>\n      negligence is attributed, and only after that doctor or committee<br \/>\n      reports that there is a prima facie case of medical negligence<br \/>\n      should notice be then issued to the doctor\/hospital concerned.<br \/>\n      This is necessary to avoid harassment to doctors who may not<br \/>\n      be ultimately found to be negligent. We further warn the police<br \/>\n      officials not to arrest or harass doctors unless the facts clearly<br \/>\n      come within the parameters laid down in Jacob Mathew case,<br \/>\n      otherwise the policemen will themselves have to face legal<br \/>\n      action.&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>10.   <a href=\"\/doc\/1920027\/\">In V. Kishan Rao v. Nikhil Super Specialty Hospital and<\/a> another<\/p>\n<p>(2010) 5 SCC 513, the Court noted that the proposition laid down in Martin<\/p>\n<p>D&#8217;Souza&#8217;s case is contrary to the three-Judge Bench judgment in Jacob<\/p>\n<p>Mathew&#8217;s case and observed:\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>      &#8220;We are of the view that the aforesaid directions in D&#8217;Souza are<br \/>\n      not consistent with the law laid down by the larger Bench in<br \/>\n      Mathew. In Mathew the direction for consulting the opinion of<br \/>\n      another doctor before proceeding with criminal investigation<br \/>\n      was confined only in cases of criminal complaint and not in<br \/>\n      respect of cases before the Consumer Fora. The reason why the<br \/>\n      larger Bench in Mathew did not equate the two is obvious in<br \/>\n      view of the jurisprudential and conceptual difference between<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                           11<\/span><\/p>\n<p>      cases of negligence in civil and criminal matter. This has been<br \/>\n      elaborately discussed in Mathew.&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>11.    In the light of the above noted judgments, it is to be seen whether the<\/p>\n<p>finding recorded by the State Commission that the respondent did not<\/p>\n<p>exercise due diligence and skill in treating the appellant was correct and the<\/p>\n<p>National Commission committed an error by upsetting the order of the State<\/p>\n<p>Commission. A critical analysis of the order of the State Commission shows<\/p>\n<p>that it did not accept the respondent&#8217;s version that the appellant had been<\/p>\n<p>brought to his hospital in a serious condition and he was suffering from<\/p>\n<p>gastro-enteritis, dehydration acidosis and septicemia shock and mal-nutrition<\/p>\n<p>and anemia by observing that if that was so, there was no valid reason for<\/p>\n<p>the respondent to stop medication and withdraw glucose on 2.11.1994. The<\/p>\n<p>State Commission also took serious view of the respondent&#8217;s conduct in<\/p>\n<p>producing the case papers after a gap of 6 years from the date of filing the<\/p>\n<p>complaint and that too, after the appellant&#8217;s father and Dr. Ashwin Bhammar<\/p>\n<p>had been cross-examined.      The State Commission then referred to the<\/p>\n<p>statement of Dr. Ashwin Bhamar and opined that in view of his statement,<\/p>\n<p>the printed material produced by the respondent cannot be relied for denying<\/p>\n<p>relief to the appellant. The State Commission concluded that there was<\/p>\n<p>deficiency in service on the part of the respondent and directed him to pay<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                          12<\/span><\/p>\n<p>compensation to the appellant. The National Commission did not advert to<\/p>\n<p>these important aspects and allowed the appeal on the solitary ground that on<\/p>\n<p>his cross-examination, Dr. Ashwin Bhamar had admitted that there could be<\/p>\n<p>ten to twelve other reasons for development of gangrene.<\/p>\n<p>12.   In our view, the National Commission was duty bound to pay serious<\/p>\n<p>attention on the respondent&#8217;s failure to produce the case papers for 6 long<\/p>\n<p>years and called upon him to explain why the record pertaining to the<\/p>\n<p>treatment given to the appellant was held back from the State Commission<\/p>\n<p>till the complainant&#8217;s evidence was virtually over. The case papers\/bed<\/p>\n<p>ticket maintained by the hospital of the respondent would have disclosed the<\/p>\n<p>line of treatment adopted by him. Why he did not produce those papers<\/p>\n<p>along with reply to the complaint or at least before commencement of the<\/p>\n<p>evidence of the appellant is inexplicable. By withholding those papers till<\/p>\n<p>the completion of the evidence of Dr. Bhamar, the respondent appears to<\/p>\n<p>have made an attempt to mislead the State Commission about the steps taken<\/p>\n<p>by him for treating the appellant.    Equally intriguing was respondent&#8217;s<\/p>\n<p>failure to file affidavit of Dr. Chudasama to whom he claims to have taken<\/p>\n<p>the appellant for treatment. The respondent did try to fill in this lacuna by<\/p>\n<p>filing affidavit of Dr. Chudasama before the National Commission. The<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                                  13<\/span><\/p>\n<p>latter should have enquired as to why he had not filed such affidavit before<\/p>\n<p>the State Commission or examined him as a witness before the State<\/p>\n<p>Commission. These omissions on the part of the National Commission are<\/p>\n<p>extremely serious and have resulted in failure of justice.<\/p>\n<p>13.   For the reasons stated above, the appeal is allowed. The impugned<\/p>\n<p>order is set aside and the matter is remanded to the National Commission for<\/p>\n<p>fresh disposal of the appeal filed by the respondent. Since, the matter is<\/p>\n<p>almost 16 years old, we request the National Commission to decide the<\/p>\n<p>appeal within a period of 6 months from the date of receipt\/production of<\/p>\n<p>copy of this judgment. The parties are directed to appear before the National<\/p>\n<p>Commission on 8th of November, 2010. They may file additional affidavits<\/p>\n<p>and documents within next four weeks.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>                                                     &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;..J.\n<\/p>\n<p>                                                     [G.S. Singhvi]<\/p>\n<p>                                                     &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;J.\n<\/p>\n<p>                                                     [Asok Kumar Ganguly]<br \/>\nNew Delhi<br \/>\nOctober 26, 2010<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supreme Court of India Minor Marghesh K. Parikh vs Mayur H.Mehta on 26 October, 2010 Author: G Singhvi Bench: G.S. Singhvi, Asok Kumar Ganguly NON-REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPEAL NO. OF 2010 (Arising out of SLP(C) No.19165 of 2009) Minor Marghesh K. Parikh &#8230;&#8230;..Appellant Versus Dr. Mayur H. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-208769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-supreme-court-of-india"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Minor Marghesh K. 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