GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 19th Dec. The Supreme Court on Wednesday quashed the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s order that denied compensation to the family of a road accident victim. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan found the high court’s decision to be “cryptic” and lacking adequate reasoning.
The case involved a compensation of ₹50,41,289 granted by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Satna district to the wife and son of the victim. The victim, an assistant postmaster from Tehsil Maihar, died after being hit by a rashly driven truck on June 18, 2018. He succumbed to his injuries ten days later.
The high court had reversed the award, stating that the claimants did not provide sufficient evidence that the truck involved in the accident was the same as the one named in the case. The insurance company, which filed the appeal, claimed the vehicle was wrongly implicated, but failed to substantiate its claim.
The Supreme Court expressed surprise that the high court had made a quick decision without a thorough examination of the evidence presented before the MACT. The bench noted that the appeal under Section 173 of the Motor Vehicles Act was a first appeal, which required careful consideration of the evidence.
While the court considered remanding the matter to the high court, it decided to restore the MACT’s award, citing the long delay in the case and the emotional toll on the victim’s family. “Any further delay will only compound the agony of the already devastated family,” the bench remarked.
The Supreme Court’s verdict reaffirmed the MACT’s finding that the victim’s death was caused by the truck’s reckless driving, and the compensation to the family was upheld.
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