Rs. 21 lakh for couple who lost son in road accident

The Thane Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has granted compensation of Rs 21.80 lakh to an elderly couple after their 28-year-old son was killed in a road mishap in 2009.

The Thane Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has granted compensation of Rs 21.80 lakh to an elderly couple after their 28-year-old son was killed in a road mishap in 2009.

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Santosh Ahire, 56, and his wife Meena had sought compensation of Rs 20 lakh jointly from the Oriental Insurance Company and Rahat Asmat Khot, the owner of the truck that killed their son Suresh in an accident in Dombivli on January 7, 2009.

A case had been registered at Kolsewadi police station.

The Ahires later reduced the claim amount to Rs 8 lakh saying they could not afford to pay the requisite court stamp fees.

However, tribunal member SY Kulkarni in his ex-parte order against Khot raised the claim amount to Rs 21.80 lakh as Suresh was the sole earning member of the family. The tribunal also directed the respondents to pay Rs 10,000 towards Suresh’s funeral expenses. They have also been told to pay annual interest of 7% on Rs 21.80 lakh from the date on which the claim was filed.

“Taking into consideration the evidence on record and as Suresh was working with ICICI Bank and was a confirmed employee, in addition to Suresh’s age at the time of his death, I am of the view that an addition 50% of actual salary of the deceased towards future prospective income of the deceased can be awarded in this case to the applicants,” the judge said.