HYDERABAD: Nine years after a 26-year-old bank probationary officer died in a road accident, the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT), Hyderabad, has directed TATA AIG General Insurance Company to pay Rs 60.34 lakh in compensation to his parents.
The deceased, Neeraj Ravela, was working as a probationary officer at the Canara Bank branch in Nelamangala, Bengaluru Rural district.
On August 20, 2017, Neeraj and his friend Vishnuvardhan Padibandla were travelling on a scooter from their residence in Subash Nagar, Nelamangala, to Arishinakunte to have food. After having their meal, they were returning home, with Vishnuvardhan driving the scooter and Neeraj riding pillion.
At around 9.30 pm, when they reached the U-turn near Vajarahalli Crossroads in Subhash Nagar, a lorry driven by Ravindra Yadav hit their two-wheeler. Both Neeraj and Vishnuvardhan Padibandla sustained grievous injuries in the collision and were shifted to a hospital in an ambulance.
Neeraj was initially taken to a nearby hospital, where he died on August 21 while undergoing treatment. Nelamangala traffic police registered a case against the lorry driver under Sections 279, 337 and 304-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Following the incident, Neeraj’s parents filed a compensation petition before the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal in 2020, making Ravindra Yadav, the lorry owner, AXIS Courier & Logistics, and TATA AIG General Insurance Company the respondents.
The tribunal observed that although the petitioners claimed compensation of only `60 lakh, they were entitled to `60,34,160 After considering the evidence presented, the tribunal directed all three respondents to jointly and severally pay the compensation to Neeraj’s parents.