CHENNAI: Holding that the provisions of Motor Vehicles Act are beneficial in nature and what is required to be awarded is just and reasonable compensation, a division bench of Madras High Court has enhanced the compensation awarded in a case from Rs 14.57 lakh to Rs 17.83 lakh.
Even in the absence of appeal/cross-appeal by the claimants, this court has got power and jurisdiction to enhance the compensation, as recognised by the Supreme Court in 2004, Justices N Kirubakaran and R Pongiappan has said.
The judge was dismissing an appeal from the State Transport Corporation (STC) challenging the award of Rs14.57 lakh by the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal at Krishnagiri on November 6, 2015. K Babu, who was riding a motorcycle, met with a fatal accident with the State transport bus at Krishnagiri on March 26, 2013. The local tribunal awarded Rs 14.57 lakh to the legal heirs. Aggrieved, the STC preferred the appeal.
Dismissing it, the bench directed the transport corporation to deposit the entire sum of Rs17.83 lakh with interest and costs, after deducting the amount already deposited, if any, before the tribunal, within three months.
On such deposit being made, the tribunal shall transfer the respective shares of the major claimants, as per its apportionment, to their respective bank accounts, through RTGS, within one week thereafter. The share of the minor claimant should be deposited in interest bearing fixed deposit in any one of the nationalised banks, till she attains majority, the bench said and permitted the wife to withdraw the interest accruing on the deposit once in three months.
Petition filed for month’s parole for Basha
Chennai: The daughter of S A Basha, the prime accused in the serial bomb blast case in 1998, serving life imprisonment in the local Central Prison, has filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking release on parole. A petition filed by Basha’s daughter Mubeena said he had served more than 20 years in prison. Now, claiming that his presence was needed to discuss an important family function, petitioner wanted prison authorities to grant a month’s parole for her father