IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL NOS.10608-10609 OF 2014
[Arising out of S.L.P. (Civil) Nos. 19079-19080 of 2014]
HDFC Bank Ltd. … Appellant
Versus
Kumari Reshma and Ors. … Respondents
The facts which are requisite to be stated are that on 20.12.2002 about 12.30 p.m. the claimant was going on a scooter bearing registration No. MP09Q92 from Shastri Bridge to Yashwant Square and at that time the Motor Cycle belonging to 2ndrespondent and driven by the respondent No.3 herein, in a rash and negligent manner dashed against the scooter as a consequence of which she sustained a fracture in the right hand superacondylar fracture and humerus bone fracture and certain other injuries. She availed treatment at various hospitals as she had to undergo an operation and thereafter advised to take physiotherapy regularly. Keeping in view, the injuries suffered and the amount she had spent in availing the treatment, she filed a claim petition putting forth the claim for Rs.4,50,000/-. The tribunal as stated earlier awarded a sum of Rs.1,75,000/- with 6% interest and opined that all the non-applicants to the claim petition were jointly and severally liable to pay the compensation amount. It is apt to state here the stand and stance put forth by the predecessor-in-interest the appellant bank that it had only advanced a loan and the hypothecation agreement was executed on 1.11.2002 by it. As per the terms of the agreement, the owner of the vehicle was responsible to insure the vehicle at his own costs. Reliance was placed on Clause 16 and 17 of the loan agreement which stipulated that the bank was required to get the vehicle insured if the borrower failed to or neglected to get the vehicle insured. The accident as stated earlier had taken place on20.12.2002 and the vehicle was insured by the owner on 16.1.2003. It was further put forth by the bank that the owner deposited Rs.6,444/- with the dealer of the motorcycle i.e. Patwa Abhikaran Pvt. Ltd., whereas it was required to pay Rs.9,444/-. Despite the same, he obtained the possession of the vehicle on the same day itself which was not permissible. It was urged before the tribunal the financer was not liable to pay the compensation and it was the exclusive liability of the borrower. The tribunal on scrutiny of the clauses opined that as the financer had a duty to see that borrower does not neglect to get the vehicle insured, it was also liable along with the owner and accordingly fastened the liability both jointly and severally. In appeal, it was contended that the financer could not have been fastened with the liability to pay the compensation. The High Court referred to the definition clause in Section 2 (30) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (for brevity “the Act”), took note of the language employed in Clause 16 of the agreement that if the owner neglects to get the vehicle insured the bank was required to get it insured, and the fact that the financer and the borrower were the registered owners and, accordingly opined that the bank was liable to pay. Being of this view the learned Judge dismissed the appeal preferred by the bank and partly allowed the appeal preferred by the claimants….read more