M/S. BAJAJ ALLIANCE GENERAL INSURANCE CO LTD. versus RAMBHA DEVI AND ORS

Citation: [2023] 12 S.C.R. 241 · Decided: 13-09-2023 · Supreme Court of India · Bench: D.Y. CHANDRACHUD, HRISHIKESH ROY, PAMIDIGHANTAM SRI NARASIMHA, PANKAJ MITHAL, MANOJ MISRA · Disposal: Directions issued
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Judgment (excerpt)

CASE DETAILS
M/S. BAJAJ ALLIANCE GENERAL INSURANCE CO LTD.
v.
RAMBHA DEVI AND ORS.
(Civil Appeal No. 841 of 2018)
SEPTEMBER 13, 2023
[DR. DHANANJAYA Y CHANDRACHUD, CJI, 
HRISHIKESH ROY, PAMIDIGHANTAM SRI NARASIMHA, 
PANKAJ MITHAL AND MANOJ MISRA, JJ.]
HEADNOTES
Issue for consideration: Whether a person holding a driving licence 
in respect of a “light motor vehicle” could on the strength of the licence be 
entitled to drive a “transport vehicle of light motor vehicle class” having 
unladen weight not exceeding 7500 kgs.
Motor Vehicles Act 1988 - Person holding a driving licence in 
respect of a “light motor vehicle” – Entitlement to drive a “transport 
vehicle of light motor vehicle class” having unladen weight not exceeding 
7500 kgs, on the strength of that licence:
Held: Decision in Mukund Dewangan’s case which enables a person 
holding a licence for a light motor vehicle to drive a transport vehicle on the 
strength of that licence without a separate transport vehicle licence, does not 
appear to be in accord with the legislative intent – Any change in the position 
of law as expressed would have an impact on large number of persons who 
have obtained insurance and may be driving commercial vehicles with LMV 
licences relying on Mukund Dewangan’s case – Impact of the reversal of 
the decision on the social sector is a facet which would have to be placed 
in balance by the policy decisions of the Government – Thus, it would be 
necessary for the Union Government to have a fresh look at the matter and 
determine whether a change in the law is warranted bearing in mind the 
diverse considerations which fall within its remit in making policy choices 
and decisions – Union Government requested to carry out the exercise within 
the stipulated period and thereafter, the proceedings would be taken up.
[2023] 12 S.C.R. 241 : 2023 INSC 832
241
SUPREME COURT REPORTS 
[2023] 12 S.C.R.
242
LIST OF CITATIONS AND OTHER REFERENCES
Mukund Dewangan v Oriental Insurance Company Limited (2017) 
14 SCC 663 – referred to.
OTHER CASE DETAILS INCLUDING IMPUGNED 
ORDER AND APPEARANCES
CIVIL APPELLATE/EXTRA ORDINARY JURISDICTION: Civil 
Appeal No. 841 of 2018.
From the Judgment and Order dated 04.08.2017 of the High Court 
of Judicature for Rajasthan at Jodhpur in S.B. Civil Misc. Appeal No.5127 
of 2011.
With
SLP(C) Nos. 10918, 9604, 9613 of 2018, Diary No(s). 24834, 25256 
of 2018, SLP(C) No. 24671 of 2018, Diary No(s). 32753, 32756, 37055, 
39059 of 2018, SLP(C) Nos. 426, 505-506 of 2019, SLP(C) No. 17506 
of 2018, Diary No(s). 23638, 24137, 24530, 24534 of 2018, SLP(C) Nos. 
5958, 8918-8919, 11503-11504 of 2019, SLP(C) No. 8277 of 2020, SLP(C) 
Nos. 8123-8124 of 2022, SLP(C) Nos. 14645-14646, 35472-35473 of 2017, 
SLP(C) No. 6055 of 2018, SLP(C) Nos. 18849, 20449, 21547, 23017-23018 
of 2019, C.A. Nos. 8001-8002 of 2019, SLP(C) No. 766 of 2020, SLP(C) 
Nos. 24545, 30601 of 2019, SLP(C) No. 696 of 2021, C.A. Nos. 1477, 
842, 1479, 483, 1506, 1478 of 2018, Diary No. 40406 of 2017, C.A. No. 
1476 of 2018, Diary No. 41949 of 2017, SLP(C) Nos. 2684-2685, 597, 
524 of 2018, Diary No. 2524 of 2018, SLP(C) Nos. 19242-19244 of 2018, 
Diary No. 23636 of 2018, SLP(C) No. 28906 of 2018, SLP(C) Nos. 13315, 
14523-14524 of 2019, Diary No. 37270 of 2017, C.A. No. 1475 of 2018, 
SLP(C) Nos. 5065, 10459, 9908, 6668 of 2018, Diary No(s). 4869, 6119, 
6264 of 2018, SLP(C) Nos. 8816, 9607, 9610, 9612, 9606, 9609 of 2018, 
Diary No(s). 9963, 9970, 990 of 2018, SLP(C) No. 5193, 5188, 9611, 9608, 
9605 of 2018, SLP(C) No. 20221 of 2023
Appearances:
Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General, R Venkataramani, Attorney General, 
Jayant K Sud, Siddhartha Dave, Jayant Bhushan, Neeraj Kishan Kaul, Mrs. 
Anitha Shenoy, Sr. Advs., Jagdish Chandra Solanki, Ms. Archana Pathak 
Dave, Kartik Jasra, Vaibhav Dwivedi, A N Krishna Swami, Udai Khanna, 
243
Avnish Dave, Jagdish C Solanki, Ms. Riya Sethi, Pratyush Srivastav, Ms. 
Vidhi Thaker, Parmod Kumar Vishnoi, Prastut Dalvi, Kumar Prashant, 
Tushar Bhushan, Amartya Bhushan, Yojit Mehra, Ketan Paul, Sukant 
Vikram, Ms. Sakshi Mittal, Vishnu Mehra, Kunal Malhotra, Amit Kumar 
Singh, Ms. K Enatoli Sema, Ms. Chubalemla Chang, Prang Newmai, 
Abhsihek Gola, Viresh B. Saharya, Akshat Agarwal, Rajeev Kumar, P. K. 
Seth, Ms. Manjeet Chawla, Mrs. Usha Pant Kukreti, Ms. Meenakshi Midha, 
Kapil Midha, Ms. Garv Singh, Ms. Samiksha Gupta, Garv Singh, Chander 
Shekhar Ashri, Ms. Hetu Arora Sethi, Rajeev Maheshwaranand Roy, Dr. 
Meera Agarwal, Ra
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