1 2026:CGHC:13418 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MAC No. 846 of 2019 The New India Assurance Company Limited, Through Its Division Manager, Divisional Office Madina Building, Katchery Chowk, Raipur, Tahsil And District Raipur, Chhattisgarh. ... Appellant versus 1 - Satish Puri Goswami, S/o. Shri Shankar Puri Goswami, Aged About 28 Years, R/o. Bail Bazar, Shastri Nagar, Aarang, Tahsil Aarang, District Raipur, Chhattisgarh. 2 - Mandeep Singh, S/o. Baldev Singh, Aged About 28 Years, R/o. Village Birkoni, Police Station Mahasamund, Tahsil And District Mahasamund Chhattisgarh (Driver) 3 - Smt. Lakhvindar Kaur, W/o. Shri Janrail Singh, Aged About 38 Years, R/o. Govind Nagar, Pandari, Raipur, Police Station- Civil Line Raipur, Tahsil And District Raipur, Chhattisgarh. (Owner) ... Respondents For Appellant : Mr. Dashrath Gupta, Advocate For Respondent No.1 : Mr. Shikhar Agnihotri, Advocate on behalf of Mr. Awadh Tripathi, Advocate ASHOK SAHU Digitally signed by ASHOK SAHU Date: 2026.03.20 17:14:19 +0530 2 (Single Bench) Hon'ble Shri Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal Judgment on Board 20.03.2026 1. The appellant/insurance company has preferred this appeal under Section 173 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 calling in question the legality, validity and correctness of the impugned award dated 28.01.2019 passed by the learned First Additional Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, Raipur in Claim Case No. 107/2016, by which the claim application of the claimant has been allowed and liability has been fastened upon the insurance company to pay the amount of compensation. 2. Learned counsel for the appellant/insurance company would submit that Mandeep Singh, driver of the offending vehicle, did not have valid and effective driving licence to drive the vehicle, therefore, the appellant/insurance company be exonerated from its liability to pay compensation. 3. Learned counsel appearing for the claimant/respondent No.1 would support the impugned award and submit the the appeal is liable to be dismissed. 4. Heard learned counsel appearing for the parties and gone through the records meticulously. 3 5. Learned Claims Tribunal has clearly recorded a finding that the driving licence of driver Mandeep Singh was not properly examined, as only the driving licence number was sent for it’s investigation. As such, it could not be proved that the driving licence of driver Mandeep Singh was forged and he did not have valid and effective driving licence to drive the vehicle. As such, the finding recorded by the learned Claims Tribunal is a correct finding of fact based on evidence available on record and, therefore, I do not find any merit in this appeal, the same is liable to be and hereby dismissed. Sd/- (Sanjay K. Agrawal) Judge Ashok