MACT awards Rs 22.60L relief to bizman’s family

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 2

The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has awarded a compensation of Rs 22.60 lakh to the family of a 61-year-old businessman, Baldev Chand, who died in a road accident in 2018.

Baldev’s widow Raj Dulari and sons Ashok Kumar and Vikas Kumar filed the claim petition under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicle Act for grant of compensation on account of the death of Baldev Chand in a motor vehicular accident.

As per the petition, the accident took place on September 29, 2018, when Baldev was going from Dera Bassi towards Zirakpur on his motorcycle (PB65-U-0980) at a normal speed. When Baldev reached a little short of the light points of Bhankar village about 5.30 pm, a truck (HP12-A-9782) being driven by Jaswinder Singh at a high speed hit him from the rear. Baldev fell on the road. His head got crushed under the wheels of the truck. Baldev died on the spot.

An FIR in this regard was registered under Sections 279, 427 and 304-A of the IPC at the Dera Bassi police station against the truck driver on the statement of Ashok Kumar, an eyewitness.

Truck driver Jaswinder Singh of Pehowa in Kurukshetra district and truck owner Bhagwan Dass, a resident of Baddi in Solan district, submitted in reply that no accident took place with the truck bearing (HP12-A-9782), but a false case had been registered against the truck driver just to take illegal compensation from them.

Thakur Kartar Singh, counsel for the claimants, argued that at the time of the accident, the deceased was the proprietor of Shakti Timber and Plywood at Dera Bassi and a farmer of agricultural land. He was earning Rs 50,000 per month. Due to Baldev’s untimely death, the claimants have suffered a rude shock as well as loss of love and affection and support. In these circumstances, compensation to the tune of Rs 75 lakh, along with interest from the date of the accident till its realisation, has been claimed from the driver, insured and insurer of the offending vehicle.

After hearing the arguments and facts of the case, the tribunal directed Reliance General Insurance Company Limited, being the insurer of the offending vehicle, along with the offending truck driver and its owner to pay a compensation of Rs 22,60,090 to the victim’s family, including Raj Dulari and Ashok Kumar and Vikas Kumar.