Authority: Supreme Court of India

Order Date: 22-08-2026

Case Overview

  • Parties: Rahul Tarak (Petitioner) vs Lakshmi Thakur & Ors (Respondents); Oriental Insurance Company Ltd is Respondent No.5.
  • Origin: Special Leave Petition (Civil) Diary No. 47409/2026 arising from the impugned final judgment and order dated 11‑03‑2026 in MAC No. 2074/2019 passed by the High Court of Chhattisgarh, Bilaspur.
  • Core Issue: Whether Oriental Insurance Company Ltd, after paying compensation to the claimant, may recover the same amount from the petitioner‑owner on the ground that the driver, Manish Singh, employed by the petitioner, possessed a forged driving licence.
  • Procedural Background: The petitioner sought condonation of delay in filing IA No. 239470/2026 (exemption from filing O.T.) and IA No. 239473/2026 (condonation of delay). The Court heard the matter on 22‑08‑2026 before Hon’ble Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Atul S. Chandurkar.

Final Outcome

1. The Court condoned the filing delay.

2. The Court issued notice to Respondent No.5 – Oriental Insurance Company Ltd, with a return date of 04‑11‑2026.

3. The issuance of notice does not restrain Oriental Insurance from paying the compensation to the claimant; the question of recovery from the petitioner remains subject to the final outcome of the Special Leave Petition.

Topics: Insurance Compensation Recovery, Judicial Notice