A significant portion of the funds allocated to the two minor sons will be kept in fixed deposits in a nationalised bank until the boys attain majority
The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal found that Ankit Chugh (34) failed to maintain a safe distance and could not control his speed in time to avoid the collision, and held him 70% responsible for the crash and the truck driver 30%. New Panvel police registered an FIR against an unknown driver of the truck for offences under the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicles Act. The claims were filed by Pooja, along with the minor children and other legal heirs. During the proceedings, Bhupendersingh Chugh, father of Ankit and father-in-law of Sunjana, died, after which Snehariya was brought on record as legal heir, but the tribunal found that Snehariya was not dependent on either deceased person and was not entitled to compensation.
For Sunjana, the tribunal awarded a principal amount of Rs 92.53 lakh. The combined principal compensation for both claims is Rs 1.80 crore. The tribunal awarded interest at 9% per annum from the date of filing on April 9, 2019, to the date of decision on Oct 29, 2026, which was approximately Rs 1.23 crore in interest. The entire compensation, including the accumulated interest, totals approximately Rs 3.04 crore. The Chughs moved the tribunal in April 2019 and filed two separate claims, one for each death. On Dec 23, 2018, Ankit was driving a WagonR car with Sunjana and their two children at about 5:30 am.
For Ankit, the tribunal calculated a base compensation of Rs 2.94 crore but deducted 70% due to contributory negligence, resulting in a final principal amount of Rs 88.45 lakh. The family filed two separate claims, one for each of the deceased. The total compensation awarded encompasses the claims for both deceased individuals. A truck driven by Bharat Kumar and owned by Punya Transportation, Collageroa from Banswara, Rajasthan, was alleged to have been driven at high speed and to have braked suddenly, after which the WagonR rammed into the truck. The family was dragged for about one kilometre. Ankit and Sunjana were taken to Rural Hospital, Panvel, where both were declared dead on arrival.
However, in the case of Chugh’s wife Sunjana, also 34 at the time of the accident, the tribunal took a different stance: it held that she was a passenger in the WagonR and there was no contributory negligence in the accident. The final awarded amount will be distributed to the deceased couple Sunjana and Ankit Chugh’s two minor children, Sidak Chugh and Samarth Chugh, who were four and seven in 2018, and the children’s paternal grandmother, Pooja Chugh, now 64. The tribunal rejected the compensation claim made by Snehariya Chugh, the 43-year-old paternal aunt of the boys, ruling that she was married and not financially dependent on the couple.
Her heirs got the full assessed compensation. Sidak and Samarth were also injured in the accident.