AIR 2001 SUPREME COURT 1419 ::2001 AIR SCW 1340 ::(2001) 2 MahLR 720 ::(2001) WLC(SC)CVL 481 ::(2002) 1 ACC 346 ::2001 (2) UJ (SC) 1121 ::2001 UJ(SC) 2 1121 ::(2001) 2 CivLJ 887 ::2001 (4) SCC 342 ::2001 SCC(Cri) 701 ::2001 (3) RecCivR 716 ::(2001) 3 Scale 18 ::2001 (2) All CJ 1132 ::(2001) 1 ACJ 843 ::2001 (2) TAC 243 ::2001 (2) CurCC 54 ::(2001) 43 All LR 378 ::2001 (2) All WC 1405 ::(2001) 3 AllMR 526 (SC) ::(2011) 1 CPJ 10 ::2001 (105) Com Cas 398 ::2002 (1) GujLR 916 ::2001 (3) MadLW 421 ::(2001) 3 AndhLD 24 ::2001 (3) RajLW 382 ::2001 (1) Pun LR 830 ::2001 (3) PatLJR 74 ::2001 (2) SCJ 1 ::2001 (1) UC 491 ::2001 (2) LRI 284 ::2001 (3) Supreme 84 ::(2001) 2 CurLJ(CCR) 134 ::(2001) 4 JT 235 (SC) ::2001 (4) JT 235 ::2001 (4) SRJ 473

Supreme Court Of India

(From : 2001 (1) ACC 299 (Him Pra))

Hon'ble Judge(s): K. T. Thomas, R. P. Sethi , JJ

Motor Vehicles Act (59 of 1988) , S.15, S.149, S.149(4), S.149(5)— Renewal of fake driving licence - Cannot transform fake licence as genuine - Forgery being antithesis to legality, cannot be validatd - Breach of insurance policy conditions on account of vehicle being driven without valid driving Licence - Insurer made statutorily liable to pay compensation to third parties can recover from insured vehicle owner amount paid to third parties. (1994) 1 Acc CJ 374 (Punj and Har), Overruled. If a fake driving licence happened to be renewed by the statutory authorities, the fakeness of the original document does not get legally sanctified. The Insurance Company shall not be liable to pay compensation in respect of a motor accident occurred while the vehicle was driven by a person holding such a sham licence. A fake licence cannot get its forgery outfit stripped off merely on account of some officer renewing the same with or without knowing it to be forged. @page-SC1420 Section 15 of the Act only empowers any licensing authority to "renew a driving licence issued under the provisions of this Act with effect from the date of its expiry". No licensing authority has the power to renew a fake licence and, therefore, a renewal if at all made cannot transform a fake licence as genuine. Any counterfeit document showing that it....