New India Assurance Co. Ltd. vs Sulochana Bewa And Ors. on 28 September, 1994
(i) In New India Assurance Co. Ltd. (supra) the Karnataka High Court held that by requiring the appellant who has suffered the award to deposit certain amount of money under the first proviso to Section 173 of the New Act, the New Act has controlled the right of appeal. The New Act is admittedly prospective. There is nothing in the said statute and particularly in Section 173 or in Section 217 thereof to read that by enactment of the provision relating to pre-deposit of certain amount of the award by the appellant the vested right crystalised in his favour at the commencement of the lis has been taken away. The New Act being not retrospective, the condition precedent to deposit all the required amount of the award by the appellant is applicable to cases coming under the provisions of the New Act only. For the aforesaid reasons, I respectfully differ with the view expressed in the aforesaid decision of the Karnataka High Court.