LANDMARK CASE

State of Rajasthan v. Vidyawati

AIR 1962 SC 933 · Supreme Court of India · Torts

At a glance

Citation: AIR 1962 SC 933
Court: Supreme Court of India
Area of law: Torts
In one line: Yes. The state was liable like any employer for this non sovereign function.

1 Facts

A government jeep driver negligently killed a pedestrian.

2 Issue

Is the state vicariously liable for the negligence of its employees?

3 What the court decided

Yes. The state was liable like any employer for this non sovereign function.

4 Why it matters

A key case on state liability in tort.

5 Think about it

How does this differ from Kasturilal?

6 Analyse it yourself

Read the full judgment from an official source or a law database, then brief it in seven steps: facts, issues, arguments, decision, ratio, obiter and significance. Always check the citation before you rely on it.

7 More cases on Torts

Ashby v. White (1703) 2 Ld Raym 938
Caparo Industries v. Dickman [1990] 2 AC 605
Charan Lal Sahu v. Union of India (1990) 1 SCC 613
Donoghue v. Stevenson [1932] AC 562
Gloucester Grammar School Case (1410) YB 11 Hen IV
Hedley Byrne and Co. v. Heller and Partners [1964] AC 465

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