The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has awarded a compensation of Rs 75.11 lakh to the family of a Himachal Pradesh health department employee who was killed after the car, he was driving, was hit by a speeding truck near Nangal, Punjab, in 2017.
As per Advocate Thakur Kartar Singh and Advocate Vishal Thakur, counsels of the claimants, the accident took place on July 10, 2017, when Krishan Kant Sehgal, a resident of Hathloun village in Himachal Pradesh, was coming home from Mandi Gobindgarh in his car, along with his father-in-law Deshraj, mother-in-law Kamla Devi and son Sumit (17). About 9.30pm, when they reached near Nangal, the truck , being driven by Sham Lal, came from the opposite wrong side in a rash and negligent manner and collided with the car, as a result Sehgal suffered fatal injuries. The victim’s father-in-law and mother-in-law also died, while son Sumit survived the accident.
Following the accident, the victim’s wife Madhu Bala (44) and sons Abhinandan Sehgal (21) and Sumit moved an application for compensation in the MACT. They pleaded that the victim was earning Rs 46,734 per month and that the compensation be awarded, along with an interest of 24 per cent per annum from the date of petition till realisation of the amount. Upon notice by the tribunal, accused truck driver Lal and his wife Pinki Devi, owner of the vehicle, filed a written statement, pleading that the claim petition is not maintainable as no accident has taken place as alleged. The claimants have falsely implicated them with connivance of local police, read the plea. However, the tribunal granted a compensation of Rs 75,11,135 to the family with directions to the accused, along with Shri Ram General Insurance Company Limited, to jointly pay it with an interest of 6 % per annum from the date of the filing of the petition till that of realisation.