Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awards Rs 11.87 lakh to kin of teen killed in accident

Representational photo

A 17-YEAR-OLD boy from Bihar was killed after the motorcycle he was riding was hit by a rashly driven car a year ago. Now, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), Chandigarh, has awarded a compensation of Rs 11.87 lakh to the family of the victim. Anupam Kumar, a native of Bihar and staying at Bhaman Khurd village in Punjab’s Ludhiana district, used to work as a mason here.

The accident occurred on November 23, 2016. Anupam was going to Harian village on his motorcycle with his colleague Jatinder Kumar riding pillion.

Advocate Yadvinder Pal Markan, counsel for the claimant, stated in court that Anupam was driving the motorcycle at normal speed. Around 9:45 am, a car, driven by Sukhchain Singh, allegedly in a rash and negligent manner, rammed into Anupam’s bike, injuring him severely. Anupam sustained multiple injuries in the head and Jatinder, too, was injured. Sukhchain, however, fled. An eyewitness informed police about the incident and Anupam was rushed to hospital, where he was declared dead. Jatinder was discharged after treatment.

The victim’s family then moved court, seeking compensation for Anupam’s death. The claimants, Anupam’s father Nikhilesh Shukla and mother Babita Devi, sought a compensation of Rs 50 lakh, pleading that their son was just 17-years-old and he had two young sisters. The victim used to earn Rs 20,000 per month as mason. The accused Sukhchain claimed he had been falsely implicated and the amount was exaggerated.

The counsel for the victim’s parents, Markan, argued that the post-mortem report clearly stated that Anupam had died of injuries in a car accident and the eyewitness, a barber, had stated that the victim died due to rash driving. After hearing the arguments, the court awarded an amount of Rs 11,87,300 to the father and mother in equal share.

MACT directed Sukhchain along with Iffco Tokio General Insurance, Chandigarh, to pay compensation jointly to Anupam’s kin and they shall also be entitled to interest on the amount of compensation at a rate of 7.5 per cent per annum from the date of application till realisation.