Accused to pay Rs 1.1 lakh to student disabled in mishap

For leaving a 17-year-old student disabled by ramming a speeding car into her static scooter, the motor accidents claims tribunal (MACT) directed the owner and driver of the car to pay Rs 1.12 lakh as compensation to the accident victim.

For leaving a 17-year-old student disabled by ramming a speeding car into her static scooter, the motor accidents claims tribunal (MACT) directed the owner and driver of the car to pay Rs 1.12 lakh as compensation to the accident victim.

The tribunal presided over by additional district and sessions judge Shalini S Nagpal held the car driver, Nishant Kumar of Sector 19, Chandigarh, responsible for the accident that left the girl disabled.

The tribunal directed the owner of the vehicle —Lakhpat Rai Mittal, a resident of Sector 28 — and Nishant to pay the compensation amount “jointly and severally along with interest at the rate of 7.5% per annum from April 2012” till the amount is actually realised.

The case

Seventeen-year-old Sonali, a resident of Sector 20, on February 16, 2012 at about 1pm was standing near her scooter parked by the side of road in Sector 27-D, Chandigarh, and was waiting for her friend.

After her friend came back, they were about to move when the car driven by Nishant came at full speed from the opposite direction and hit the scooter. After the accident, the car driver fled from the spot along with vehicle.

At that time, Sonali was a student of Class 12 at KBDAV School, Sector 7, Chandigarh, and due to the accident, she had to undergo three operations, including bone grafting.

Rebuttal

Nishant Kumar, claiming to be falsely implicated, denied he was driving the car.He said no accident had taken place and the claim petition was filed only to harass him, and termed the story of the accident as concocted.