Tribunal awards Rs 92.58 lakh to road accident victim’s mother
A Delhi Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has awarded Rs 92.58 lakh as compensation to the mother of a 28-year-old woman who died in a road accident in Goa in December 2016.
Presiding Officer Richa Manchanda was hearing the claim petition filed by the mother of Megha Sehrawat, who lost her life after a mini bus hit the scooter she was riding in Goa on December 30, 2016.
In an order dated June 6, the tribunal said, “In view of the aforesaid discussion and the evidence that has come on record, petitioners have been able to prove on the basis of preponderance of probabilities that deceased had sustained fatal injuries in road accident due to rash and negligent driving of mini bus by its driver”.
The tribunal said the deceased sustained fatal injuries due to the rash and negligent driving by the bus driver, Pradeep Namdev Shetgaonkar.
It relied on the FIR, charge sheet, post-mortem report and other material on record, saying that the driver did not enter the witness box to rebut the allegations.
The victim’s mother, Kusum, had approached the tribunal seeking compensation, claiming that her daughter, a BTech and MBA graduate, was employed with a Mumbai-based company and was supporting her financially.
While some employment records were not formally proved, the tribunal relied on the deceased’s bank account statements showing salary credits, and concluded that she was earning a net monthly salary of Rs 64,342 at the time of the accident.
The tribunal awarded a total compensation of Rs 92.58 lakh with interest at 7.5 per cent per annum from April 19, 2017, till realisation.
It noted that the offending vehicle was insured at the time of the accident and directed the insurance company to deposit the amount within 30 days.
