India, March 31 -- A school bus pressed into service for election duty, a fatal road accident, and a legal battle over who should pay compensation -- the Supreme Court has now settled the question, placing the burden squarely on the state. In a verdict with wide implications for election administration, the Supreme Court has ruled that governments cannot shift liability onto private insurers when accidents occur during the use of requisitioned vehicles. The apex court held that once a vehicle is taken over by authorities under statutory powers, the liability to pay compensation rests with the state functionary, not the private owner or its insurer, because control and, therefore, responsibility shift entirely to the state during the period of requisition. The ruling came in from 2010 accident in MP, where a school bus requisitioned for panchayat election duty collided with a motorcycle, resulting in one death. htc...