Hyderabad: The Supreme Court clarified that there is no legal requirement to mandatorily include the vehicle number in the First Information Report (FIR) on the day of registration for road accident cases. A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Ahsanuddin Amanullah delivered the judgment on Monday while addressing a case stemming from a 2011 accident in Habsiguda, Hyderabad, where K Yadaiah died after a car collided with his scooter.
The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Secunderabad had directed Bajaj Allianz Insurance Company and the car owner, Ravinder Reddy, to jointly pay Rs 33,63,350 in compensation with 7.5 percent interest to the victim’s family.
Insurance firm challenges decision in HC
The insurance company challenged this in the Telangana High Court, arguing that the FIR did not initially mention the vehicle number, absolving them of liability. The High Court overturned the MACT’s order, prompting the victim’s family to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The apex court reinstated the tribunal’s decision, stating that an FIR is merely a “process to record an incident” and not an “encyclopedia” of facts. It emphasized that subsequent police investigations identified the car and driver, fulfilling legal obligations.
The court noted that omissions like missing vehicle numbers in the FIR do not invalidate claims if evidence establishes liability during trials. Authorities must identify responsible parties during probes, even if details are absent in the initial report, the judgment reinforced.
