Pay ₹9.64-cr relief to NRI who died in 2009 accident: SC to APSRTC

She was travelling by car with her husband and daughters from Annavaram to Rajamahendravaram in East Godavari district on June 13, 2009, when an RTC bus collided with their vehicle

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation to pay a compensation of ₹9.64 crore to the family of a non-resident Telugu woman from the United States of America, who died in a bus accident in 2009, people familiar with the matter said.

Lakshmi Nagalla who had done her masters in computer sciences in the US and obtained permanent citizenship there, came to India in 2009 along with her husband and two daughters for a holiday. (Representational image)

A bench comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra delivered the verdict, asking the APSRTC authorities to pay ₹96,452,220 in compensation to Shyam Prasad Nagalla, husband of Lakshmi Nagalla, who died in the accident on June 13, 2009.

Lakshmi, who had done her masters in computer sciences in the US and obtained permanent citizenship there, came to India in 2009 along with her husband and two daughters for a holiday.

She was travelling by car with her husband and two daughters from Annavaram to Rajamahendravaram in East Godavari district on June 13, 2009, when an RTC bus collided with their vehicle. Lakshmi died in the accident.

Shyam Prasad Nagalla, filed a case in the Secunderabad Motor Accidents Tribunal, stating that his wife was earning $11,600 per month in the US and her death had caused immense loss to the family. He sought ₹9 crore in compensation from the APSRTC, which was responsible for the accident.

The case went on till 2014, when the tribunal directed the APSRTC to pay ₹8.05 crore as compensation. The APSRTC then challenged this verdict in the Telangana high court, which reduced the compensation to ₹5.75 crore, in its judgement two years later.

Not satisfied with the Shyam Prasad approached the Supreme Court. After a protracted legal battle, the Supreme Court gave the judgement on Tuesday, upholding the tribunal’s award and ordered the APSRTC to pay ₹9,64,52,220 to the victim’s family.

An official of the APSRTC said on condition of anonymity that the corporation management would take a call after obtaining the judgement copy.