June 27, 2022

CASE ANALYSES: MANJEET SINGH V NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY LTD. & ANR.

Bench: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE MADAN B. LOKUR, HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE DEEPAK GUPTA
Judgment by: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE MADAN B. LOKUR,

Date- 8 December, 2017.

INTRODUCTION

The consumer Protection Act, 2019 has given a wider scope to the rights of consumers’ and also makes them aware of the responsibilities that their manufacturers or producers are supposed to follow with and also there is larger scope for the speedy dispute settlement and has ways for it. This article deals with the landmark case of Manjit Singh versus National Insurance Company that we come across while we study Consumer Law or Consumer Protection Act, 1986 and 2019.

FACTS OF THE CASE

In this case the appellant had purchased a second-hand truck under Hire purchase agreement. One day when he was driving the truck a passenger asked him to stop his truck and give him a lift when he stopped the truck the passenger assaulted the driver and fled with vehicle. The appellant claimed for compensation from the insurance company he had purchased under but the company rejected his plea alleging breach of company’s policy

THE REASONING AND VERDICT OF THE DISTRICT, STATE, AND NATIONAL FORUM

The appellant filed suit in district forum and it was held that the company is not responsible and it would be breach of the policy of the company as the appellant should not have given the lift in the first place. The state and the national forum too had the same reasoning.

BREIF ANALYSES

The appellant here was not satisfied with the verdict of the Consumer forum, as we can see that the appellant being the consumer and the Insurance company would be responsible for the services it should provide. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 is much wider in its scope compared to the Act of 1986. It has scope for the settlement of the disputes and it is less lavishing and has rapid resolution. Through time and changes in the economic life of the country we notice that there must be dynamic nature of the laws governing the principles of the consumer rights protection. Therefore, the Act of 2019 is wider and less expensive. Through this we understand the followed verdict of supreme court and its reasoning.

SUPREME COURT’S VERDICT

To the extent of the first ground is in a stew, we can contemplate the view that the District Forum had not properly valued the scope and ambit of the policy. The violation of the condition should be such a fundamental breach so that the claimant cannot claim any amount whatsoever. As far as the violation in carrying passengers is concerned, this has consistently been held not to be a fundamental breach and, in this behalf, we may make reference to the judgments of this Court in the case of National Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Swaran Singh, (2004) 3 SCC 297, National Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Nitin Khandelwal, (2008) 11 SCC 259, Lakhmi Chand v. Reliance General Insurance, (2016) 3 SCC 100 and B.V. Nagaraju v. Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd., (1996) 4 SCC 647.

CONCLUSION

This case gives us the knowledge to approach these kinds of situation where it is really not easy to co me to a conclusion where both the parties are not at fault but still the apex court resolved this dispute with a satisfied and legitimate reasoning.  

REFERENCES

https://www.casemine.com/judgement/in/590a0fa24a932663936d1fc3

https://www.indianemployees.com/judgments/details/manjeet-singh-versus-national-insurance-company-ltd-anr

https://www.legalauthority.in/judgement/manjeet-singh-vs-national-insurance-company-ltd-686

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