E-Paper
MACT awards ₹21 lakh to 2020 road mishap victim’s kin
Out of the ₹21 lakh compensation awarded by MACT, the victim’s minor son and two minor daughters will receive ₹3 lakh each, his mother and father will get ₹2 lakh each and the rest amount ₹10,11,400 will be given to his wife
The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has awarded ₹21 lakh to the family of a 34-year-old, who died in a motor accident in 2020.
The victim, Meen Singh, of Dimaina village, Sirmaur district, Himachal Pradesh, worked as a mason and agriculturalist.
On March 1, 2020, he was traveling to Ghel village, Punjab, in a Mahindra Bolero Camper accompanied by one Rajesh Kumar, and car driver Prem Lal of Bhalaud village, Sirmaur district.
In the return journey, when the three reached near Kamnadi village on the road leading to Dimaina around 5.30pm, Lal was rash driving and lost control of the car, which fell 50 feet below the road and Singh suffered multiple injuries. He was taken to CMC Haripurdhar where he was declared brought dead.
A case, against the driver and the owner of the vehicle Hardev of Barwa village, Sirmaur district, and the insurance firm, under Sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304-A (death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered.
Following the complaint, the driver and owner of the vehicle filed a joint statement and sought dismissal of the petition, wherein they pleaded that the accident accrued due to a mechanical fault in the vehicle.
The insurance firm denied the version of the petition and added that the other occupant of the vehicle, Rajesh Kumar had also died and his heirs had filed a petition in the MACT court at Nahan. They had averred the two were travelling as labourers and Singh was not a vegetable seller as alleged. They added that as gratuitous passengers the insurance firm was not liable to indemnify them.
In the hearing, the court observed that there is no proof of mechanical fault and from an eyewitness’ testimony it was clear that the driver was speeding which led to the accident.
Out of the compensation, Meen Singh’s minor son and two minor daughters will receive ₹3 lakh each, his mother and father will get ₹2 lakh each and the rest amount ₹10,11,400 will be given to his wife.
