An 11-year-old girl, who lost her mother in a 2015 accident involving a trailer ramming into her scooty at Mazgaon, has been awarded Rs 1.1 crore in compensation by a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal.
The claim was initially filed by Ritika Ashokan, her father Ashokan Kanapathy, and maternal grandfather Anand Subayya Rai in 2015. However, during the claim’s pendency, both men passed away, leaving Ritika, now under the care of her grandmother Banumathi Anandraj, as the sole claimant. The claim was filed through her grandmother.
The tribunal considered these factors while calculating the compensation. Ritika’s mother, Seeta Ashokan, a 37-year-old school and tuition teacher, had a monthly income of Rs 60,000 at the time of her death. The tribunal stated, “Considering the age of the deceased when she died in the accident, a long span of service was due to be enjoyed by her and there is likelihood of having great increase in her salary. But due to accident she lost her life and lost her chance to live a better life.”
The majority of the compensation will be kept in a fixed deposit until Ritika turns 21, with the quarterly interest available for her use until then. Additionally, around Rs 5.50 lakh, with interest from 2015, will be given to her grandmother for Ritika’s upbringing and welfare.
The tribunal’s decision came after Ritika’s lawyer highlighted that she currently lives with her aged grandmother, who has no source of income, and that Ritika needs funds for her education and daily expenses. The lawyer requested some of the compensation be released for her immediate welfare rather than depositing the entire amount in a fixed deposit.
The compensation is to be paid by the trailer owner, Vidyadhar Mishra, and the insurer, Reliance General Insurance Company Limited. The accident occurred on May 11, 2015, at 2:40 pm, when Ritika’s father was riding the scooty with her as a pillion passenger. The trailer, driven at high speed in a rash and negligent manner, collided with the scooty from behind.
