Orphaned in mishap, 3 girls get over Rs 80 lakh relief

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 21

In a relief to three girls, including a minor, whose parents died in a bus accident, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) here has ordered New India Assurance Company Ltd to pay a compensation of over Rs 80 lakh to them.

The deceased Prem Raj Kapoor (49), a native of Mandi, used to work as a technician at SJVNL Hydro Project, Jhakhari, Shimla, and was earning Rs 45,249 per month.

According to the case filed by the Mauli Jagran-based claimants, the accident took place on July 10, 2015, at 7.20 pm in Rampur. The deceased along with his wife was travelling in the ill-fated bus (HP-06B-1591) to Shimla. The bus was occupied by a number of passengers and was already running late. Therefore, the driver was driving rashly and negligently. He was warned by the passengers to drive slowly but he did not pay heed. After reaching a bridge in Rampur, the driver could not control the bus on a bend and the vehicle fell into a deep gorge. 

Kapoor had suffered grievous head injuries due to which he died on the spot. The police had registered a case under Sections 279/337 and 304A of the IPC against the driver Nittu, who was not impleaded as he died in the same accident. 

Counsel Sunil K Dixit contended in the plea that the claimants spent Rs 50,000 on the last rites of the deceased. The claimants were totally dependent on the earnings of the deceased and had lost both parents in the accident. 

In his reply, Alka Mishra, owner of the offending bus service, said the bus was not running late and was being driven at a normal speed. The insurance firm replied that the petition was not maintainable as the claimants had not impleaded the legal heir of the driver of the bus and because the alleged accident had not taken place due to rash and negligent driving by the bus driver.