# MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OF DELlll v. SUBHAGWANTI & OTHERS

- **Citation:** [1966] 3 S.C.R. 649
- **Court:** Supreme Court of India
- **Decided:** 1966-02-24
- **Case number:** Civil Appeals Nos. 1102-1104 of 1963
- **Bench:** K. Subba Rao, V. RAMAsWAMI
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/municipal-corporation-of-dellll-v-subhagwanti-others-3645
- **Pages:** 8

## Headnote

Negligence-Clock tower belonging to M~nicipal Comm!ttee fallin~
Causing death of persons by-Whether doctrine of res ipsa loq'!'tu_r
applies-Fatal
Accidents Act, 1885, s. l-Damages-Quantum-Prmc1ples for determining.
Three suits for damages were filed by the respondents as heirs of thr~
persons who died as a result of the collapse of the Clock Tower
m
Chandni Chowk, Delhi, belonging to the appellant-Corporation, formerly
the Municipal Committee of Delhi. The trial court held that it was the
duty of the Municipal Committee to take proper care of buildings so that
they should not prove a source of danger to persons using the highway
as a matter of right, and granted decrees of Rs. 25,000, Rs. 15,000 and
20,000 respectively to the plaintifl'> in each of the three suits.
On appeal to the High Court, although the decree for Rs. 25,000 in
one of the suits was maintained, the amounts of Rs. 15,000 ancl Rs. 20,000
in the other two decrees were reduced to Rs. 7,200 and Rs. 9,000 respectively. The High Court held that the principle of res ipsa /oquitur applied
to the case and considered that it was the duty of the Municipal Committee to carry out periodical examination for the purpose of determining
whether deterioration had taken place in the structure of the building and
whether any precaution was necessary to strengthen it. Apart from superficial examination from time to time. there was no evidence of an exami:..
nation ever made with a view to seeing if there were any latent defects
making the building unsafe.
In the appeal to this Court, it was contended on behalf of the appellant
that the High Court was wrong in applying the doctrine of res lpsa
/oquitur to this case and that the fall of the clock tower was due to an
inevitable accident which could not have been prevented by the exercise
of reasonable care or caution; that since the defects which led to the
collapse were latent, the appellant cGuld not be held guilty of negligence,
and that in any event the damages awarded were excessive.
HELD : The High Court was right in applying the doctrine res ipsa
loquitur as in the circumstances of the case the mere fact that there was
a fall of the clock tower, which was exclusively under the ownership
and control of the appellant, would justify raising an inference of negli-
&enco so as to establish a prima facie case against the appellant.
[652 F, HI
There is a special obligation on tho owner of adjGining premises for
the safety of the structures which he keeps besides the highway. If these
atructures fall into disrepair so as to be of potential danger to the passersby or to be a nuisance, the owner is liable to anyone using the highway
who is injured by reason of the disrepair. In such a case it is no defence
for the owner to prove that he neither knew nor ought to have known
al the danger. Jn other words, the owner is legally responsible irrespective of whether the damage is caused by a patent or a latent defect.
[653 E-G]
·650
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[ 1966] 3 S.C.R.
Wrlnge v. Cohen, [1940] 1 K.B. 229, Mint v. Good,
[19511 1. K:.B.
A
517 and Wal.sh v. Holst and Co. Ltd. and OTI. [1958] 1 W.LR. 800, referred
to.
The High Coun had applied the correct principles in estimation of the
damages in all the three appeals.
Davia v. Powell Dufjreifl Assoclo!ed Collieries Ltd. [19421 A. C. 601
and Nance v. Briti<h Columbia Electric Rm/way Company
Lrd. 11951]
B
A.C. 601, referred to.

## Text

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MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OF DELlll
v.
SUBHAGWANTI & OTHERS
(With connected Appeals)
February 24, 1966
[K. SUBBA RAO AND V. RAMAsWAMI, JJ.]
Negligence-Clock tower belonging to M~nicipal Comm!ttee fallin~
Causing death of persons by-Whether doctrine of res ipsa loq'!'tu_r
applies-Fatal
Accidents Act, 1885, s. l-Damages-Quantum-Prmc1ples for determining.
Three suits for damages were filed by the respondents as heirs of thr~
persons who died as a result of the collapse of the Clock Tower
m
Chandni Chowk, Delhi, belonging to the appellant-Corporation, formerly
the Municipal Committee of Delhi. The trial court held that it was the
duty of the Municipal Committee to take proper care of buildings so that
they should not prove a source of danger to persons using the highway
as a matter of right, and granted decrees of Rs. 25,000, Rs. 15,000 and
20,000 respectively to the plaintifl'> in each of the three suits.
On appeal to the High Court, although the decree for Rs. 25,000 in
one of the suits was maintained, the amounts of Rs. 15,000 ancl Rs. 20,000
in the other two decrees were reduced to Rs. 7,200 and Rs. 9,000 respectively. The High Court held that the principle of res ipsa /oquitur applied
to the case and considered that it was the duty of the Municipal Committee to carry out periodical examination for the purpose of determining
whether deterioration had taken place in the structure of the building and
whether any precaution was necessary to strengthen it. Apart from superficial examination from time to time. there was no evidence of an exami:..
nation ever made with a view to seeing if there were any latent defects
making the building unsafe.
In the appeal to this Court, it was contended on behalf of the appellant
that the High Court was wrong in applying the doctrine of res lpsa
/oquitur to this case and that the fall of the clock tower was due to an
inevitable accident which could not have been prevented by the exercise
of reasonable care or caution; that since the defects which led to the
collapse were latent, the appellant cGuld not be held guilty of negligence,
and that in any event the damages awarded were excessive.
HELD : The High Court was right in applying the doctrine res ipsa
loquitur as in the circumstances of the case the mere fact that there was
a fall of the clock tower, which was exclusively under the ownership
and control of the appellant, would justify raising an inference of negli-
&enco so as to establish a prima facie case against the appellant.
[652 F, HI
There is a special obligation on tho owner of adjGining premises for
the safety of the structures which he keeps besides the highway. If these
atructures fall into disrepair so as to be of potential danger to the passersby or to be a nuisance, the owner is liable to anyone using the highway
who is injured by reason of the disrepair. In such a case it is no defence
for the owner to prove that he neither knew nor ought to have known
al the danger. Jn other words, the owner is legally responsible irrespective of whether the damage is caused by a patent or a latent defect.
[653 E-G]
·650
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[ 1966] 3 S.C.R.
Wrlnge v. Cohen, [1940] 1 K.B. 229, Mint v. Good,
[19511 1. K:.B.
A
517 and Wal.sh v. Holst and Co. Ltd. and OTI. [1958] 1 W.LR. 800, referred
to.
The High Coun had applied the correct principles in estimation of the
damages in all the three appeals.
Davia v. Powell Dufjreifl Assoclo!ed Collieries Ltd. [19421 A. C. 601
and Nance v. Briti<h Columbia Electric Rm/way Company
Lrd. 11951]
B
A.C. 601, referred to.
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeals Nos. 1102-1104
of 1963.
Appeals from the judgments and decrees dated November
27, 1959 of the Punjab High Court (Circuit Bench) at Delhi in Civil
Regular First Appeals Nos. 69-D, 71-D and 85-D of 1963.
C
Bishan Narain, Sardar Balradur and Arun B. Saharya, for the
appellant (in all the appeals).
N.D. Bali and Din Dayal Sharma, for the respondents (in
C. As. Nos. 1102 and 1103of1963).
.A.G. Ratnaparkhi, for respondent (in C.A. No. 1104 of 19e3).
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
Ramaswami, J. These appeals arise out of 3 suits for damages
filed by the heirs of three persons, namely Shri Ram Parkash,
Shrimati Panni Devi and Sant Gopi Chand who died as a result
of the collapse of the Clock Tower situated opposite the Town
Hall in the main Bazar of Chandi Chowk, Delhi belonging to the
appellant-Corporation, formerly the Municipal Committee of Delhi.
Suit No. 552of1952 was filed by the heirsofShri RamParkash,
suit No. 930 of 1951 was filed by the heirs of Smt. Panni Devi and
suit No. 20 of 1952 was filed by Kuldip Raj whose father, Gopi
Chand was killed hy the fall of the Clock Tower. All the suits
were tried by the Court of Subordinate Judge, !st Class, Delhi
who disposed of all the suits by a common judgment dated July
9, 1953. The Subordinate Judge granted a decree for a sum of
Rs. 25,000 to Shrimati
Subhagw~nti and other heirs of Ram
Parkash in suit No. 552 of 1952, a sum of Rs. 15,000 to the heirs
of Shrimati Panni Devi in suit No. 930 of 1951 and a sum of
Rs. 20,000 to Kuldip Raj in suit No. 20 of 1952. It was held by the
trial court that it was the duty of the Municipal Committee to take
proper care of buildings, so that they should not prove a source
of danger to persons using the highway as a matter of right. The
trial court rejected the plea of the Municipal Committee that in
the case of latent defects it could not be held liable and the Municipal Committee, as the owner of the buildings abutting on the highway, was liable in negligence if it did not take proper care to maintain the buildings in a safe condition. It was submitted against
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MUNIC. CORP. v. SUBHAGWANTI (Ramaswami, ].)
651
the Municipal Committee before the trial court that, apart from
superficial examination of the Clock Tower from time to time by
the Municipal Engineer, no examination was ever made with a
view to seeing if there were any latent defects making it unsafe.
Aggrieved by the decree of the trial court, the Municipal Committee filed appeals in the High Court in all the three suits. On
November 27, 1959 the High Court disposed of all the appeals by
a common judgment. The decree for Rs. 25,000 in suit No. 552
of 1952 was maintained, the amount of Rs. 15,000 awarded in
suit No. 930of1951 in favour of Munshi Lal and others was reduced
to Rs. 7,200, and the amount of Rs. 20,000 awarded in suit No. 20
of 1952 was reduced to Rs. 9,000. The High Court held that the
principle of res ipsa loquitur applied to the case. The High Court
considered that it was the duty of the Municipal Committee to
carry out periodical examination for the purpose of determining
whether deterioration had taken place in the structure and whether
any precaution was necessary to strengthen the building. The
High Court mainly relied on the evidence of Shri B. S. Puri, Retired
Chief Engineer, P.W.D., Government of India who was invited
by the Municipal Committee to inspect the Clock Tower after its
collapse and who was produced by them as their witness. Tp.e
facts disclosed in his statement and that of Mr. Chakravarty,
the Municipal Engineer were that the building was 80 years old
and the life of the structure of the top storey, having regard to the
type of mortar used, could be only 40 to 45 years and the
middle storey could be saved for another 10
year~. The High
Court also took into consideration the statement of Mr. Puri to
the effect thal the collapse of the Clock Tower was due to thrust of
the arches on the top portion. Mr. Pnri was of the opinion that
if an expert had examined this building specifically for the purpose
he might have found out that it was likely to fall. The witness
further disclosed that when he inspected the building after the
collapse and took the mortar in his hands he found that it had
deteriorated to such an extent that it was reduced to powder without any cementing properties.
These appeals are brought by the Municipal Corporation of
Delhi against the decree of the High Court dated November 27,
1959 in First Appeals No. 69-D of 1953, No. 71-D of 1953 and
No. 85-D of 1953.
The main question presented for determination in these appeals
is whether the appellant was negligent in looking after and maintaining the Clock Tower and was liable to pay damages for the death
of the persons resulting from its fall.
It w!ls contended, in the
first place, by Mr. Bishen Narain on behalf of the appellant that the
High Court was wrong in applying the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur
to this case. It was argued that the fall of the Clock Tower was
due to an inevitable accident which could not have been prevented
•
652
SUPUME cour.r RBPOl.TS
[1966] 3 S.C.R.
by the exercise of reasonable care or caution. It was also submitted
that there was nothing in the appearance of the Clock Tower which
should have put the appellant on notice with regard to the probability of danger. We are unable to accept the argument of the
appellant as correct. It is true that the normal rule is that it is for
the plaintiff to prove negligence and not for the defendant to disprove it.
But there is an exception to this rule which applies where
the circumstances surrounding the thing which causes the damage
are at the material time exclusively under the control or management
of the defendant or his servant and the happening is such as does
not occur in the ordinary course of things without negligence on
the defendant's part. The principle has been clearly stated in
Halsbury's Laws of England, 2nd Edn., Vol. 23, at p. 671 as follows:
"An exception to the general rule that the burden of
proof of the alleged negligence is in the first instance on the
plaintiff occurs wherever the facts already established are
such that the proper and natural inference immediately
arising from them is that the injury complained of was
caused by the defendant'snegligence, or where the event
charged as negligence 'tells its own story' of negligence on
the part of the defendant, the story so told being clear and
unambiguous. To these cases the maxim res ipsa loquitur
applies. Where the doctrine applies, a presumption of fault
is raised against the defendant, which, if he is to succeed
in his defence, must be overcome by contrary evidence,
the burden on the defendant being to show how the act complained of could reasonably happen without negligence
on his part."
In our opinion, the doctrine of res ipsa /oquitur applies in the circumstances of the present case. It has been found that the Clock
Tower was exclusively under the ownership and control of the
appellant or its servants. It has also been found by the High
Court that the Clock Tower was 80 years old and the normal life
of the structure of the top storey of the building, having regard to
the kind of mortar used, could be only 40 or 45 years. There is
also evidence of the Chief Engineer that the collapse was due to
thrust of the arches on the top portion and the mortar was deteriorated to such an extent that it was reduced to powder without
any cementing properties. It is also not the case of the appellant
that there was any earthquake or storm or any other natural event
which was unforeseen and which could have been the cause of the
fall of the Clock Tower. In these circumstances, the mere fact
that there was fall of the Clock Tower tells its own story in raising
an inference of negligence so as to establish a prima facie case
against the appellant.
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MUNIC. CORP. v. SUBHAGWANTI (Ramaswami, J.)
653
We shall proceed to consider the main question involved in
this case namely, whether the appellant, as owner of the Clock
Tower abutting on the highway, is bound to maintain it in
proper state of repairs so as not to cause any injury to any member of
the public using the highway and whether the appellant is liable
whether the defect is patent or latent. On behalf of the appellant
Mr. Bishen Narain put forward the argument that there were
no superficial signs on the structure which might have given a
warning to the appellant that the Clock Tower was likely to fall.
It is contended that since the defects which Jed to the collapse of
the Clock Tower were latent the appellant could not be held guilty
of negligence. It is admitted, in this case, that the Clock Tower
was built about 80 years ago and the evidence of the Chief Engineer
is that the safe time-limit of existence of the building which collapsed was 40 or 45 years. In view of the fact that the building
had passed its normal age at which the mortar could be expected to
deteriorate it was the duty of the appellant to carry out careful
and periodical inspection for the purpose of determining whether,
in fact, deterioration had taken place and whether any precautions
were necessary to strengthen the building. The finding of the High
Court is that there is no evidence worth the name to show that any
such inspections were carried out on behalf of the appellant and,
in fact, if any inspections were carried out, they were of casual and
perfunctory nature. The legal position is that there is a special
obligation on the owner of adjoining premises for the safety of the
structures which he keeps besides the highway. If these structures
fall into disrepair so as to be of potential danger to the passers-by
or to be a nuisance, the owner is liable to anyone using the highway
who is injured by reason of the disrepair. In such a case it is no
defence for the owner to prove that he neither knew nor ought
to have known of the danger. In other words, the owner is
legally responsible irrespective of whether the damage is caused by
a patent or a latent defect. In Wringe v. Cohen (!)the plaintiff was
the owner of a lock-up shop in Proctor Place, Sheffield, and the
defendant Cohen was the owner of the adjoining house. The
defendant had let his premises to a tenant who had occupied them
for about two years. It appears that the gable end of the defendant's
house collapsed owing to a storm, and fell through the roof of the
plaintiff's shop. There was evidence that the wall at the gable end
of the defendant's house had, owing to want of repair, become a
nuisance, i.e., a danger to passers-by and adjoining owners. It
was held by the Court of Appeals that the defendant was liable for
negligence and that if owing to want of repairs premises on a highway
become dangerous and, therefore, a nuisance and a passer-by or
an adjoining owner suffers damage by the collapse the occupier or
the owner if he has undertaken the duty of repair, is answerable
(I) [1940] 1 K.B. 229.
M11Sup. CI/66-10
1;54
IUPllEME COURT RllPOl.TS
(1966] 3 S.C.R.
whether he knew or ought to have known of the danger or not.
At page 233 of the Report Atkinson, J. states:
"By C-Onunon law it is an indictable offence for an occupier of premises on a highway to permit them to get into a
dangerous condition owing to non-repair. It was not and
is not necessary in an indictment to aver knowledge or
means of knowledge: see Reg. v. Watson ({1703) 2 Ld.
Raym. 856]. In Reg. v. Bradford Navigation Co. [(1865)
6 B. & S. 631, 651] Lord Blackburn (then Blackburn J.)
laid it down as a general principle of law that persons who
manage their property so as to be a public nuisance are
indictable. Jn Attorney-General v. Tod Heatley ((1897)
I Ch. 560] it was clearly laid down that there is an
absolute duty to prevent premises beC-Oming a nuisance.
'If I were sued for a nuisance, 'said Llndley L. J. in Rapier
v. London Tramways Co. [(1893) 2 Ch. 588, 599], 'and the
nuisance is proved, it is no defence on my part to say and to
prove that I have taken all reasonable care to prevent it.' ••
The ratio of this decision was applied by the Court of Appeals in
a subsequent case in Mint v. Good (1) and also in Walsh v. Holst
and Co. Ltd. and Ors. (2) In our opinion, the same principle is applicable in Indian law. Applying the principle to the present case
it is manifest that the appellant is guilty of negligence because of
the potential danger of the Clock Tower maintained by it having
not been subjected to a careful and systematic inspection which it
was the duty of the appellant to carry out.
The last question is regarding the quantum of damages which
requires separate C-Onsideration in each case.
Section 1 of the Fatal Accidents Act, 1855 (Act XIII of 1855)
reads:
"Whenever the death of a person shall be caused by
wrongful act, neglect or default, and the act, neglect or default is such as would (if death had not ensued) have entitled
the party injured to maintain an action and recover damages
in respect thereof, the party who would have been liable if
death had not ensued shall be liable to an action or suit for
damages, notwithstanding the death of the person injured,
and although the death shall have been caused under such
circumstances as amount in law to felony.or other crime.
Every such action or suit shall be for the benefit of the
wife, husband, parent and child, if any of the person whose
death shall have been so caused, and shall be brought by and
in the name of the executor, administrator or representative
of the person deceased; and in every such action the C-Ourt
(I) (1951] I K.B. 517.
(2) (19S8j I W.L.R. IOO
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MUNIC· CORP. v. SUBHAGWANTI (Ramaswami, /.)
655
may give such damages as it may think proportioned to the
loss resulting from such death to the parties respectively,
for whom and for whose benefit such action shall be
brought; and the amount so recovered, after deducting all
costs and expenses, including the costs not recovered from
the defendant, shall be divided amongst the before mentioned parties, or any of them, in such shares as the Court
by its judgment or decree shall direct."
This section is in substance a reproduction of the English Fatal
Accidents Acts, 9 and 10 Viet.
Ch. 93, known as the Lord
Campbell's Acts. The scope of the corresponding provisions of the
English Fatal Accidents Acts has been discussed by the House of
Lords in Davies v. Powell Duffryn Associated Collieries Ltd. (') At
page 617 of the Report Lord Wright has stated the legal position
as follows:
"It is a hard matter of pounds, shillings and pence, subject to the element of reasonable future probabilities. The
starting point is the amount of wages which the deceasea
was earning, the ascertainment of which to some extent
may depend upon the regularity of his employment. Then
there. is an estimate of ho"Y 1;lluch was required or expended
for his own personal and livmg expenses. The balance will
give a datum or basic figure which will generally be turned
into a lump sum by taking a certain number of years'
purchase. That sum, however, has to be taxed down by
having due regard to uncertainties, for instance that the
widow might have again married and thus cea'sed to be
dependent, and other like matters of speculation and
doubt."
The same principle has been reiterated by Viscount Simon in Nance
v. British Columbia Electric Railway Company Ltd. (2) In the present
case of Subhagwanti etc. there is evidence that Ram Parkash
deceased was 30 years old at the time of the accident, his widow
Subhagwanti being aged about 28 and his son 14 and daughters
12 and 2 years old. The evidence adduced regarding the income
of Ram Parkash and the amount of loss caused to his widow
and children was not satisfactory but the High Court considered
that the widow and children must have been receiving at least a
monthly sum of Rs. 150 for their subsistence and for the education
of the children from the deceased Ram Parkash. The income was
capitalised for a period of 15 years and \he amount of Rs. 27,000
which was arrived at was more than what the trial court had awarded.
The High Court accordingly saw no reason for reducing the amount
of damages awarded by the trial court. In the case of Tek Chand
and bis four children, the High Court has estimated that the pecuni-
(I) [1942] A.C. 601.
(2) [1951] A.C. 601.
656
SUPREME
COUil T
11.EPOll TS
[ 1966] 3 S.Cll.
ary loss caused by the death of his wife should be taken to be Rs. 40
A
p.m. and if a period of 15 years is taken for the purpose of calculating the total sum, the amount will come to Rs. 7,200. Lastly, in
the case of Kuldip Raj, the High Court has calculated the pecuniary
loss at the rate of Rs. 50 p.m. and the amount of damages calculated for a period of 15 years would come to Rs. 9,000. In our
opinion, the High Court has applied the correct principle in estiB
mation of the damages in all the three appeals and learned Counsel
has been unable to show that the judgment of the High Court
on this aspect of the case is vitiated for any reason.
For the reasons expressed, we hold that there is no merit in
these appeals which are accordingly dismissed with costs.
Appeals dismissed.
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