Latest Post

Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 168 — Notional income of skilled worker — Carpenter — Assessment — The appellant, a carpenter aged 38 years, suffered amputation of his right leg below the knee in a road accident in November 2004 — The Claims Tribunal assessed his monthly income at Rs. 3,000/- and the High Court enhanced it to Rs. 5,000/- relying on minimum wages. Held — A carpenter is a skilled artisan who works with precision and manual dexterity — His income cannot be equated with that of an unskilled worker — Where the appellant’s unrefuted evidence showed earnings of Rs. 8,000/- to Rs. 10,000/- per month, and a skilled job always has the potentiality to fetch higher income, the High Court erred in restricting the figure to Rs. 5,000/- — Considering the date of accident, decisions in comparable cases and the fact of the appellant being a skilled worker, his notional monthly income is assessed at Rs. 9,000/- per month. Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 304 Part II — Culpable Homicide not Amounting to Murder — Conviction and sentence — Appeal against — Abatement of appeal due to death of co-accused — Death of two appellants during pendency of appeal — Appeal survives only for the third appellant. Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950 — Section 154 — Transfer of land in contravention of ceiling limit — Not void ipso facto — Capable of ratification — Legality of transfer to be judged by law on date of execution — Sale deed executed on 04.06.1957 — Ceiling limit then was 30 acres, subsequently amended to 12.5 acres retrospectively from 01.07.1952 — Transfer in contravention of Section 154 not void but voidable at instance of Gaon Sabha coupled with liability for ejectment of transferee under Section 163 — No suit filed for ejectment within limitation period. Specific Relief Act, 1963 — Section 16(c) — “Readiness and Willingness” — Relief of specific performance is equitable and discretionary — Plaintiff must specifically aver and prove continuous readiness and willingness to perform obligations — Failure to do so disentitles plaintiff to relief — “Readiness” refers to financial capacity, “Willingness” to conduct and intention — Both cumulatively must be seen — Conduct of plaintiff prior and subsequent to suit, along with attending circumstances, must be considered — Availability of funds must be proved with reference to relevant time, not by documents created much later. Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 166 and 140 — Compensation for death in motor vehicular accident — Negligence — Truck stationed on road at night without warning lights or indicators — Wagon-R car collided from behind — Held, truck driver was negligent in leaving the vehicle unattended on the road without adequate precautionary measures, which was the proximate cause of the accident.

Un­ necessary Amendment—Amendment was sought belatedly when suit was fixed for final arguments—Further, suit could still be decided even without there being any necessity to seek any amendment in the plaint—Application for amendment of plaint held to be rightly dismissed by Trial Court.   

2019(2) Law Herald (SC) 1027 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 838 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre  Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dinesh Maheshwari Civil Appeal No.…

Agreement to Sell—Specific Performance—Plaintiff has to aver and prove his readiness and willingness—Merely because defendant has not taken any objection in their written statement in this regard is of no consequence Agreement to Sell—Specific Performance—Pleadings of plaintiff were essentially directed towards the existence and validity of the alleged agreement and the surrounding dealings of the parties; but is lacking in those material assertions on readiness and willingness on his part–Decree of sped fie performance declined. Second Appeal—Substantial Question of law—It cannot be laid down as a matter of rule that irrespective of the question/s formulated, hearing of the second appeal is open for any other substantial question of law, even if not formulated earlier

2019(2) Law Herald (SC) 1017 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 783 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dinesh Maheshwari Civil Appeal No.…

Specific Relief Act, 1963, S.34-Suit for declaration-Public Temple or Private Temple-Mahant of temple/Dera–The onus of proving that the appellant-Shri Ram Mandir falls within the description of private temple is on the appellant who is asserting that the temple is a private temple and that he is the Mahant of the temple

2019(2) Law Herald (SC) 994 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 780 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hontile Mrs. Justice R. Banumathi Hon’ble Mr. Justice R. Subhash Reddy Civil Appeal No.…

Service Matters

Writ Petition-Error apparent on face of record–Non speaking order-High Court dismissed the writ petition for regularization of services on the basis of pleadings which were not part of record–Judgment and order of High Court set aside-Matter remanded back for deciding the writ afresh on the basis of pleadings on record.                          

2019(2) Law Herald (SC) 989 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 779 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ashok Bhushan Hon’ble Mr. Justice K.M. Joseph Civil Appeal Nos.2544-2545 of…

Alienation of property of minor by natural guardian—Minor died before attaining majority—Limitation to avoid instrument made by guardian of the ward is 03 years from the death of ward as provided in Article 60 of Limitation Act Alienation of property of minor—Without praying for setting aside the sale deeds executed by natural guardian of minor (father), the suit for declaration and possession was not maintainable

2019(2) Law Herald (SC) 972 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 778 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ashok Bhushan Hon’ble Mr. Justice K.M. Joseph Civil Appeal No. 1782…

Injunction—Remand of Case—When the plaintiff’s injunction application stood dismissed by the Trial Court and the same was not carried in appeal at his instance, the same could not have been revived by the High Court in a writ petition filed by the plaintiff against the order of appellate court in favour of defendant

2019(2) Law Herald (SC) 969 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 777 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dinesh Maheshwari Civil Appeal No.…

Medical Negligence–It is not to be necessary for every professional to possess the highest level of expertise in that branch in which he practices Medical Negligence—A doctor cannot be said to be negligent if he is acting in accordance with a practice accepted as proper by a reasonable body of medical men skilled in that particular branch of medicine

2019(2) Law Herald (SC) 962 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 776 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice L. Nageswara Rao Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul Civil Appeal…

You missed