Court awards ₹14.59 lakh relief to kin of man killed in Chandigarh road mishap

The deceased, identified as Ram Saran, 45, was run over by a car near Sector 26 petrol pump on Madhya Marg in 2018

The Chandigarh district court awarded a compensation of ₹14.59 lakh to five children of a rehri-puller who had died in a road accident in Chandigarh in 2018.

Claimants filed a claim petition under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, seeking compensation on account of their father’s death. (iStock)

The deceased, identified as Ram Saran, 45, was run over by a car near the Sector 26 petrol pump on Madhya Marg, Chandigarh

His children, Satish Prajapati, 24, Vinod, 22, Renu, 18, Senu, 16, and Ankush, 5, filed a complaint against the car driver and owner Simmi Jaggi, a resident of Zirakpur, Mohali, and insurer M/s National Insurance Company Ltd.

They filed a claim petition under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, seeking compensation on account of their father’s death.

It was stated that the victim was on the right side of the road when Jaggi, who was speeding, hit the rehri with her car, as a result of which Ram Saran suffered fatal injuries.

They also mentioned that the deceased was earning ₹15,000 a month and the claimants were solely dependent on him, so demanded a compensation of ₹25 lakh.

Jaggi, however, claimed that she was neither speeding nor was she negligent and the deceased himself was responsible for his injuries.

The insurance company alleged that Simi Jaggi did not have a valid driving license at the time of the accident; the vehicle was driven in violation of terms and conditions of the insurance policy and no intimation was given to them regarding the accident.

After hearing the arguments, the court awarded the claimants an amount of ₹14,59,448 with 9% interest per annum from the date of the filing of the petition till the actual realisation.