- (1.) Prayer in this writ petition is for direction to the various States Governments and the Union Territories to ensure that the mandate of Section 158 (6) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (in short the 'Act') is complied with without exception. It is stated that Section 158 (6) of the Act casts a statutory obligation on the concerned police officers forward to Claims Tribunal having jurisdiction about the death or bodily injury any person so recorded in the police station. Further mandate is contained in the provision about the sending copy thereof to the concerned insurer and the owner of the offending vehicle. The owner of the vehicle is obligated to forward the report to the Claims Tribunal and the insurer. The Union of India has expressed its concern about the apparent non-compliance with the requirements of the provision by letter dated 6.6.2006 of the Government of India, Ministry of Shipping Road Transport and Highways, Department of Road Transport and Highways issued circular to transport Secretaries and Commissioners of all States and Union Territories IG (Traffic) police and all the States and Union Territories highlighting non-compliance with the statutory requirements. No action has been taken to comply with the requirements of Section 158 (6).
(2.) There is no dispute that there is statutory requirement to comply with the requirement and actual implementation is very disheartening.
(3.) Section 158 (6) of the Act reads as under: "158 (6): As soon as any information regarding any accident involving death or bodily injury to any person is recorded or report under this section is completed by a police officer, the officer-in-charge of the police station shall forward a copy of the same within thirty days from the date of recording of information or, as the case may be, on completion of such report to the Claims Tribunal having jurisdiction and a copy thereof to the concerned insurer, and where a copy is made available to the owner, he shall also within thirty days of receipt of such report, forward the same to such Claims Tribunal and Insurer.";