Accident victim’s kin get 23 lakh

The family of a 73-year-old man, who died in a road accident involving a rashly-driven mini bus, has been awarded a compensation of Rs 23 lakh by a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT). MACT presiding officer Hemani Malhotra directed National Insurance Company Ltd, insurer of the vehicle, to pay Rs 23,13,000 to the wife and three daughters of Ram Avtar Sikka, who was hit by the speeding vehicle in 2015 when he was crossing the road in west Delhi. The tribunal noted that the driver of the offending bus did not cross examine the eyewitness or lead any evidence in his defence. “Since, respondent/driver of the offending vehicle chose not to cross-examine the eyewitness and did not lead any evidence qua his non-involvement in the accident, taking into consideration the unimpeached testimony the witness, it is established that the respondent was rash and negligent while driving the offending vehicle,” the tribunal observed.