Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) A Delhi court has awarded over Rs.9 lakh as compensation and interest to the family of a woman who was killed in a road accident in 2006.

Motor Accident Claims Tribunal Judge Ashwani Sarpal awarded Rs.703,022, along with around Rs.2.5 lakh interest, to the family members of 26-year-old victim Neeru Bhatnagar.

The motorcycle on which she was riding pillion was hit by a scooter driven by Sunil Kumar May 30, 2006 in north Delhi. The scooter belonged to his relative Vijay Kumar.

The court, in its judgment May 25, held the scooter driver guilty under the Motor Vehicles Act and asked the driver and the owner of the offending scooter to pay the compensation.

“As the offending vehicle was uninsured, the entire liability to pay the compensation falls upon its driver and owner,” the court said.

It directed the scooter driver and owner to pay the amount by June 24 to the victim’s family along with interest at the rate of 7.5 percent per annum from the date when the case was filed in July 2006.

Neeru Bhatnagar, who worked as an office assistant, was killed around 10.30 a.m. while going towards Rohini’s Sector 11 with her brother Sachin on his motorcycle.

The scooter came from the opposite direction and hit the motorcycle. Bhatnagar fell down due to the impact and received injuries. She died on way to hospital. She is survived by her husband and minor daughter.

While filing the petition, Bhatnagar’s husband sought Rs.20 lakh compensation.

The driver and the owner of the scooter filed their joint written statement in which they denied the allegations and said that their scooter was not involved in any accident. They said that it was due to the imbalance of the motorcycle that the deceased fell down and suffered injuries.

The duo even blamed police for implicating them in the case.

The court relied upon the statement of Sachin and the police report which stated that the accident took place due to rash and negligent driving of the offending scooter.