Decades later, delayed justice catches up in two Maharashtra cases
In two cases separated by decades, justice has moved slowly but finally brought relief and accountability in Maharashtra — with one family awarded compensation 16 years after a fatal road accident and a man arrested 36 years after allegedly attacking a cricket umpire.
In Thane, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has awarded Rs 19.91 lakh to the family of Gangaprasad Harinath Pandey, who died in a road accident on Vashi Bridge in 2010. The compensation order came 14 years after his family filed the claim petition in 2012.
Pandey, 30, was riding his motorcycle when he rammed into a container truck parked on the bridge at around 4 am on August 26, 2010. The tribunal noted that the truck had neither warning lights nor reflectors and that its driver was asleep inside.
The insurance company had opposed the family's claim, arguing that Pandey's own negligence caused the accident. The tribunal rejected the contention, observing that there was no eyewitness to establish that he was riding rashly or negligently.
The compensation, along with nine per cent annual interest from the date of filing, will be shared by Pandey's wife, two sons and parents.
In the second case, the wait for justice stretched even longer.
Omprakash Lalta Pasi was arrested in Thane after nearly 36 years on the run for allegedly attacking a cricket umpire with a bat during a match in Mumbai's Borivali area in 1990.
Pasi, then 18, allegedly assaulted the umpire after being declared out and fled. A case was registered, but he repeatedly failed to appear before the court and was eventually declared a proclaimed offender.
Police said Pasi, now 55, kept changing his address and contact details to evade arrest before investigators traced him to Mira Road through technical investigation and sustained efforts.
The two cases underline different dimensions of delayed justice. One involving a family waiting years for compensation after a death, and the other involving an accused remaining beyond the reach of the law for decades.
(With inputs from PTI)
