Thane, Jul 3 The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in Thane awarded compensation of Rs 33 lakh to the family of a 45-year-old school peon who died in a road accident in 2020.
Sunil Dattatray Jadhav was riding pillion on a motorcycle on the old Pune-Mumbai highway in Khandala on October 26 that year when the rider lost control due to excessive speed, leading to the two-wheeler slipping. Jadhav sustained severe head injuries and died on October 29.
MACT chairperson R D Sawant, in his order of Thursday, dismissed insurer's argument that the deceased was riding the motorcycle himself and that the driver was fraudulently introduced later to claim compensation.
The insurer also pointed out a 23-day delay in registering the FIR and noted that the driver, Vaibhav Devkar, did not sustain injuries.
"There are instances where pillion rider is seriously injured and rider does not even receive a scratch injury, but that will not mean Vaibhav Devkar was not driving the offending motorcycle," the MACT order said.
The tribunal ordered the owner of the vehicle and the insurance company to pay the compensation amount jointly and severally to Jadhav's widow, two minor children, and elderly mother, along with 7 per cent interest per annum from the date of filing the petition.
The award includes deductions considering that the family receives a pension equivalent to 50 percent of the basic salary of the deceased.
At the time of his death, Jadhav was employed as a peon at Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya in Nerul, drawing a monthly salary of Rs 40,362.
