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Chandigarh tribunal awards ₹84 lakh to family of man killed in army truck mishap
Presiding officer Rohit Watts, in an award dated October 15, held that the accident occurred due to the rash and negligent driving of the army truck, driven by respondent Gajender Rahangdale
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The motor accident claims tribunal (MACT) has awarded ₹84 lakh in compensation to the family of a 59 year-old UT electricity department employee who died after his Activa scooter was hit by an army truck in May 2024.
Presiding officer Rohit Watts, in an award dated October 15, held that the accident occurred due to the rash and negligent driving of the army truck, driven by respondent Gajender Rahangdale.
The deceased, Ranjit Singh, was riding his scooter towards his home from the Sector 18 Electricity Office on May 22, 2024, when the collision took place near the crossing of Sectors 18 and 19. He was taken to Government Hospital, Sector 16, where he succumbed to his injuries the same day. An FIR was registered at Sector 19 police station.
His widow, Surinder Kaur, and three sons had sought ₹90 lakh in compensation, stating that the family was dependent on his income. Singh was employed with the UT electricity department and was drawing a monthly salary of ₹1,24,828, according to the service records placed before the tribunal.
The respondents contested the claim, arguing that the FIR was false and manipulated and that the truck driver had a valid driving licence. They also disputed the amount of compensation claimed.
However, the tribunal observed that the evidence, including the FIR, postmortem report and medical records, established that Singh died from injuries sustained in the accident. It held that the claimants had successfully proved their case against the truck driver.
The compensation includes ₹81 lakh towards loss of dependency, ₹2 lakh for consortium, ₹22,000 for loss of estate and ₹22,000 towards funeral expenses, totaling around 84 lakh.
The tribunal directed the respondents to pay the compensation jointly and severally, along with interest at 7% per annum from the date of filing of the claim petition until realisation. Of the compensation amount, 55% will go to the widow, while the remaining 45% will be divided equally among the three sons.
