RANJANA PRAKASH AND ORS.versusDIVISIONAL MANAGER AND ANR.

                        [2011) 9 S.C.R. 616


A                RANJANA PRAKASH AND ORS.
                                v.
                DIVISIONAL MANAGER AND ANR.
                 (Civil Appeal No. 6110 of 2011)

                           JULY 29, 2011                             ~

8
          [R.V. RAVEENDRAN AND A.K. PATNAIK, JJ.]

        Motor Vehicles Act, 1988:

c      Compensation - Claim for - Deceased was a 46 year
  old Bank Manager and his monthly salary was Rs.23, 1341- -
  Claims Tribunal awarded compensation of Rs.24, 12,9361- -
  On appeal by the insurer, the High Court accepted its'                 t
  contention that the Tribunal ought to have deducted 30% from
D the income towards income tax and accordingly reduced the
  compensation to Rs. 16, 89, 0551- - The High Court ignored
  the contention of the claimants that 30% should have been
  added to the income towards future prospects, holding that the
  claimants had not challenged the award of the Tribunal on that
  ground, and therefore they cannot find fault with it - Held: The
E
  High Court committed an error in ignoring the contention of
  the claimants -Where in an appeal filed by the owner/insurer,
  if the High Court proposes to reduce the compensation
  awarded by the Tribunal, the claimants can certainly defend
  the quantum of compensation awarded by the Tribunal, by
F pointing out other errors or omissions in the award, which if
  taken note of, would show that there was no need to reduce
  the amount awarded as compensation - Therefore, in an
  appeal by the owner/insurer, the appellant can certainly put
  forth a contention that if 30% is to be deducted from the          \
G income for whatsoever reason, 30% should also be added
  towards future prospects, so that the compensation awarded
  is not reduced - The fact that claimants did not independently
  challenge the award will not come in the way of their defending
  the compensation awarded, on other grounds - It would only
H                               616
-, ..               RANJANA PRAKASH AND ORS. v. DIVISIONAL
                              MANAGER AND ANR.
                                                                            617

                 mean that in an appeal by the owner/insurer, the claimants A
                 will not be entitled to seek enhancement of the compensation
                 by urging any new ground, in the absence of any cross-appeal
                 or cross-objections - This principle also flows from CJr. 41 Rule
     f           33 of CPC which enables an appellate court to pass any order
         "'      which ought to have been passed by the trial court and to B
                 make such further or other order as the case may require,
                 even if the respondent had not filed any appeal or cross-
                 objections - This power is entrusted to the appellate court to
..               enable it to do complete justice between the parties - Or. 41
                 Rule 33 of CPC can be pressed into service to make the             c
                 award more effective or maintain the award on other grounds
                 or to make the other parties to litigation to share the benefits
                 or the liability, but cannot be invoked to get a larger or higher
         1
                 relief - In the instant case, the 30% increase on account of
         1       future prospects and the 30% deduction on account of income D
                 tax would cancel each other, resulting in the 'income'
                 remaining unchanged - As a result, the compensation
                 awarded by the Tribunal would remain unaltered - Code of
                 Civil Procedure, 1908 - Order 41, Rule 33.

                      Compensation - Appeal challenging the quantum of              E
                 compensation - Jurisdiction of the High Court - Held: Where
                 an appeal is filed challenging the quantum of compensation,
                 irrespective of who files the appeal, the appropriate course for
         "       the High Court is to examine the facts and by applying the
                 relevant principles, determine the just compensation - If the      F
                 compensation ·determined by it is higher than the
                 compensation awarded by the Tribunal, the High Court will
                 allow the appeal, if it is by the claimants and dismiss the
                 appeal, if it is by the owner/insurer - Similarly, if the


             '   compensation .determined by the High Court is lesser than
                 the compensation awarded by the Tribunal, the High Court
                 will dismiss any appeal by the claimants for enhancement,
                 but allow any appeal by owner/insurer for reduction - The High
                                                                                    G



                 Court cannot increase the compensation in an appeal by
                 owner/insurer for reducing the compensation, nor can it            H
      618      SUPREME COURT REPORTS               [2011] 9 S.C.R.
                                                                          t       "'
                                                                                  \.


 A reduce the compensation in an appeal by the claimants
     seeking enhancement of compensation.

        Sar/a Verma v. Delhi Transport Corporation (2009) 6
     SCC 121: 2009(5) SCR 1098 - relied on.
                                                                              '
 B          Shyamwati Sharma v. Karam Singh (2010) 12 SCC 378:            ~




     2010 (8)SCR 417 - referred to.

                          Case Law Reference:

         2009 (5) SCR 1098          Para 3, 9       relied on
c
         2010 (8) SCR 417           Para 3          referred to

         CIVIL APPELALTE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No.
     6110 of 2011.                                                        •
D        From the Judgment & Order dated 09.09.2010 of the High           •
     Court of Judicature at Patna in M.A. No. 466 of 2006.

        Nagendra Rai, Manita Verma, Devashish Bharuka, Gopi
     Raman, Ekansh Agarwal for the Appellants. ·
E
         Anand Vardhan Sharma, Rajesh Jain, Rameshwar Prasad
     Goyal, Sanjay, V.K. Goyal for the Respondents.

         The Order of the Court was delivered by

F        R. V. RAVEENDRAN, J. 1. Leave granted. Heard.

       2. The claimants are the widow, two sons and mother of
  one Arun Prakash, aged 46 years, who died in a motor
  accident on 3.11.2003. At the time of his death he was working
  as a Bank Manager, State Bank of India and his monthly salary
G was Rs.23, 134/-. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal,              'I
                                                                     •
  Muzaffarnagar by its award dated 28.8.2006 awarded a
  compensation of Rs.24, 12,936/- with interest at 9% per annum.
  On appeal by the insurer, the High Court, by the impugned
  Judgment dated 9.9.2010, while upholding the findings in regard
H
            RANJANA PRAKASH AND ORS. v. DIVISIONAL                   619
    ..      MANAGER AND ANR. [R.V. RAVEENDRAN, J.]
         to income and calculation of compensation, held that the           A
         Tribunal ought to have deducted 30% of the annual income
         towards incon:ie tax. Consequently, the High Court deducted
         30% and reduced the compensation to Rs.16,89,055/- with
•        interest at 9% per annum. The said order is challenged by the
         claimants in this appeal by special leave. The appellants
    "                                                                       B
         contend that the High Court committed an error in reducing
         compensation from Rs.24, 12,936 to Rs.16,89,055 and seek
         restoration of the compensation as awarded by the Tribunal.

               3. Before the High Court, the insurer, relying upon the
         decisions of this Court in Sar/a Verma vs. Delhi Transport         c
         Corporation - 2009 (6) SCC 121 and Shyamwati Sharma vs.
         Karam Singh - 2010 (12) SCC 378, contended that where the
t        annual income of the deceased was in taxable range, the annual
         income for the purpose of computation of compensation should
         be the annual income less income tax; and that in the absence      D
         of any evidence as to the actual income tax paid, the Tribunal
         ought to have deducted 30% from the income towards income
         tax and calculated the loss of dependency with reference to the
         'net' income.
                                                                              E
               4. The claimants, on the other hand, contended before the
         High Court that as the deceased was holding a permanent job
         under a statutory body, with assured increments and career
~.       progression and was aged between 40 to 50 years, as per the
         decision in Sar/a Verma (supra), the income ought to have been F'
         increased by 30% keeping the future prospects in view. They
         further contended that if the income had been increased by
         30% by taking note of the future prospects and if 30% had been
         deducted towards income tax, that would virtually leave the
    (    income assessed by the Tribunal undisturbed and therefore,
         computation of compensation by the Tribunal by taking the G
         monthly income as Rs.23, 134/- without any deductions, did not . -:.
         call for any interference.
            5. The High Court noticed both the contentions. It held that
         30% of the annual income should be deducted towards income         H
    620      SUPREME COURT REPORTS                 [2011) 9 S.C.R.

A tax as the income of the deceased was in the taxable bracket,
  in the absence of any evidence about the actual amount paid
  as income tax. It however did not take cognizance of the
  contention of the claimants (respondents before the High Court)
  that 30% should have been added to the income towards future
B prospects, apparently on the ground that the claimants had not
  challenged the award of the Tribunal on that ground, and
  therefore they cannot find fault with it. As a consequence, the
  High Court ignored the error in the award of the tribunal pointed
  out by the claimants but only took note of the error pointed out
C by the insurer and reduced the compensation by 30%.

        6. We are of the view that High Court committed an error
   in ignoring the contention of the claimants. It is true that the
   claimants had not challenged the award of the Tribunal on the
  ground that the Tribunal had failed to take note of future
D prospects and add 30% to the annual income of the deceased.
   But the claimants were not aggrieved by Rs.23, 134/- being
  taken as the monthly income. There was therefore no need for
  them to challenge the award of the Tribunal. But where in an
  appeal filed by the owner/insurer, if the High Court proposes
E to reduce the compensation awarded by the Tribunal, the
  claimants c<:.n certainly defend the quantum of compensation
  awarded by the Tribunal, by pointing out other errors or
  omissions in the award, which if taken note of, would show that
  there was no need to reduce the amount awarded as
F compensation. Therefore, in an appeal by the owner/insurer,
  the appellant can certainly put forth a contention that if 30% is
  to be deducted from the income for whatsoever reason, 30%
  should also be added towards future prospects, so that the
  compensation awarded is not reduced. The fact that claimants
G did not independently challenge the award will not therefore
  come in the way of their defending the compensation awaided,
  on other grounds. It would only mean that in an appeal by the
  owner/insurer, the claimants will not be entitled to seek
  enhancement of the compensation by urging any new ground,
H in the absence of any cross-appeal or cross-objections.
                    RANJANA PRAKASH AND ORS. v. DIVISIONAL                  621
'           ~       MANAGER AND ANR. [R.V. RAVEENDRAN, J.]

                     7. This principle also flows from Order 41 Rule 33 of the A
                Code of Civil Procedure which enables an appellate court to
                pass any order which ought to have been passed by the trial
                court and to make such further or other order as the case may
    ~
                require, even if the respondent had not filed any appeal or cross-
            '   objections. This power is entrusted to the appellate court to B
                enable it to do complete justice between the parties. Order 41
                Rule 33 of the Code can however be pressed into service to
                make the award more effective or maintain the award on other
                grounds or to make the other parties to litigation to share the
                benefits or the liability, but cannot be invoked to get a larger or c
                higher relief. For example, where the claimants seeks
                compensation against the owner and the insurer of the vehicle
                and the Tribunal makes the award only against the owner, on
    "
    1
                an appeal by the owner challenging the quantum, the appellate
                court can make the insurer jointly and severally liable to pay the D
                compensation, along with the owner, even though the claimants
                had not challenged the non-grant of relief against the insurer.
                Be that as it may.
                      8. Where an appeal is filed challenging the quantum of
                compensation, irrespective of who files the appeal, the E
                appropriate course for the High Court is to examine the facts
                a.nd by applying the relevant principles, determine the just
        ~
                compensation. If the compensation determined by it is higher
                than the compensation awarded by the Tribunal, the High Court
                will allow the appeal, if it is by the claimants and dismiss the F
                appeal, if it is by the owner/insurer. Similarly, if the
                compensation determined by the High Court is lesser than the
                compensation awarded by the Tribunal, the High Court will
                dismiss any appeal by the claimants for enhancement, but allow
        (       any appeal by owner/insurer for reduction. The High Court G
                cannot obviously increase the compensation in an appeal by
                owner/insurer for reducing the compensation, nor can it reduce
                the compensation in an appeal by the claimants seeking
                enhancement of compensation.
                                                                                 H
    622     SUPREME COURT REPORTS                 [2011] 9 S.C.R.

A       9. In Sar/a Verma, this Court held that where the
  deceased had a permanent job with a regular salary with
  provisions for periodic increases, 30% of the current income
  could be added towards future prospects if the deceased was
  aged between 40 to 50 years. In Sar/a Verma, this Court also
B stated that income tax paid should be deducted from the annual
  income to arrive at the 'income' which will form the basis for
  calculating the compensation. The Tribunal did neither of these
  two things. If both are done, the result would be that there would
  be no change in the income arrived by the Tribunal for
c calculating the compensation. The 30% increase on account
  of future prospects and the 30% deduction on account of
   income tax would cancel each other, resulting in the 'income'
   remaining unchanged. As a result, the compensation awarded
   by the Tribunal also would remain unaltered.
D        10. In view of the above, we allow this appeal, set aside
    the order of the High Court and restore the award of the
    Tribunal, though for other reasons. Parties to bear their
    respective costs.

E B.B.B.                                           Appeal allowed.