Meerut : Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in Saharanpur has awarded Rs 2.4 crore in compensation, with 7% annual simple interest, to the family of a State Bank of India (SBI) branch manager who died after a speeding tractor-trolley rammed his motorcycle from behind in Aug 2023. The tribunal calculated the award based on the victim’s salary, future earning prospects and the number of dependants, holding the tractor driver solely responsible for the accident and ruling out any negligence on the victim’s part.
It also found that the tractor’s registration certificate, insurance policy — valid from Feb 2023 to Feb 2024 — and the driver’s licence were valid on the date of the accident, rejecting the insurer’s defence. The tribunal relied on the police chargesheet identifying Shahzad as the tractor driver, a report submitted under Rule 203A of the Motor Vehicles Rules, and a letter Anees wrote to police during the investigation acknowledging that he was the registered owner and Shahzad was driving the vehicle on the day of the accident.
Satish Bansal, advocate for the victim’s wife, Sanyogita Devi, told TOI , “Mahesh Kumar (40), an SBI branch manager, was riding home to Chhaparedi village near Rampur Maniharan on Aug 17, 2023, when a speeding Mahindra tractor-trolley hit his motorcycle from behind near the Rehdi Malakpur canal bridge, dragging it under the tractor. The victim’s family, including his wife and four children, sought Rs 3.8 crore in compensation, with 12% interest. “Since Kumar was a permanent employee, the tribunal added 50% to his annual income to account for future salary growth, taking it to Rs 21.6 lakh. It then deducted one-fourth for personal expenses, as six family members depended on him, leaving Rs 16.2 lakh. Applying a multiplier of 15, as prescribed in the Supreme Court’s 2009 judgment in Sarla Verma vs DTC, the tribunal calculated the loss of dependency at Rs 2.4 crore. An additional Rs 77,000 was awarded for loss of consortium, loss of estate and funeral expenses,” Bansal added.
He was taken to a hospital but was declared dead. The driver abandoned the tractor and fled. The tractor’s owner, Rao Anees, and driver, Mohd Shahzad, denied that the accident had occurred and alleged that the family had colluded with local police to falsely implicate their vehicle. The insurer argued that the claimants had failed to prove the tractor’s involvement in the accident and that the driver lacked valid documents.