COR^: HC^'BLESHI^RAJEEyGUPl^^ il'BLESHRIRANGNATHCHANDRAKAR,,! ADpellants Cfaimants ResDondents MisCADDeaINo.148of200S 1 Smt Gdmti Patet, VWo Late Sukhlat Patel, ^ed about 48 ^ars ; 2 Smt Janhayi Patel, VWo LateAnilPatel, 3@&t3Gy^S9 ^ .: : :; ;;:.; 1. 3 Ku. Preksha Patel, D/o LateAnil Patel, Agedaboi.rt7yeaFS,tminor 4 ^gan Kumar^^^^F^ Patel,a@ed4yeare,minQr Nfl.3 & ^ rrfino^ ^ guaKlianmotherSmtJanhayfPatelj All R/o yitt%e BataM PS Saraipali, Qistt Mahasamund(CG) VERSUS .:-':/:''-1:1':1' i:.. / 1 Indaipal Singh iRain, S/o Man Slngh Rain, aged ^ jyea^ Jhilmili, Saraipalf; PS Saraipali,' Mahasatnynd (QG) 2 The Onental Insjyignee ^^ TMrougtt^ Diylsiohal Man^ier, The ^Mentalslnsutance^o. Ltd., l^efta^ Chbwk,Raipur(CG) MisceIlaneousADDealunclerSectk>n173oy MiftbcVeltlcleitet .l.-s Present : SMri R Pradten ahd Shri Harsh Mehant, eouhsetfortheappellants. ShnPrashahtJa'^swa|,Seni6ri<S<a.m§elwttti Shri^eera^|3Rac!lh^(»UF^I^rrTOpqn<:tent HIGH COURT OF CHHfttallSGARI' ATBU.ASPUR DIWISIOMBENCH ORDER >th ^ S.I ;l,:::::^nNpVeml»e^20^..r •^;:^ The foltowing order^^^^^ M IRajeevGupta,:C.J. Y; •: • :.: 1' ^; /': 1 :':' - ' ;'; : • :. ' Thjs Is claimants' appeal M enhancement^^ coOTpensatkm awarded byttre SeTOndAddjUpnal^^^^^ Claims Tribunal, Mahasamund (for short the Tribunat') vlde award dateKl 06^11.2004, passedln Glaim Case No.21^04. 2) As agairist the (^mpensaMOn oKRs.20,2^Q^^ theappellantstelainriartts,unfortur^^wiclov^cniki^ d»»ase<t^nHPatel^^fay^ling^iGlatm^peti^ undCT crf t^ Mc^ Vehides Act^r his^eath in the motor accldent 6n 15.12.2cx)3, theTribunalaWartlecla totalsumOltRs.3/70,000/-aB compensation along with iFrterest@ 8% perannumfromthe date ofthe filing ofthe claim petitkin till1:he date of adual paymerrt. 3) The Tnbunal on a clos6 scrutlny of the entire evMenBg ted before it held that deeeased Anfl tatel died w injurles sustainedbyhim in themotoracGidenton 18.12.2003; ttie accident occunred due to rashand^negBgeHt driving of the ^lriver 6f the offending vehiele Truek? bearing regiyration No.©G-<Nff;C- 3519; as^he above offet^lr^ Vehicle Truck, on the dat&of the iKcident was Irreured with the ©rjeritalInsurarice Company t.imit^dl and tMe tnsurance Gompanycfwld not esteblis M^ policy condltions, the Insuranee ©ompany^^w^ compensation totheclaimante; ! j ^J 4) As the responderits have not fll^ arw appeal agalnst^ award, the above flhdjngs recwded by the Tribunal have now attained finality. 5} The Tribunal assessed the income of the deceased at Rs.2,9(Xy- pw month. By deductjng 1/3rd of Rs.2,90CM- towards the personal expenses of the deceased, the claimants' dependency was assessed at fis,1,934fr per month and Rs.23,208/- perannum. By multiplying the annual dependenGy c^ Rs.23,208/- with the multiplier of 16, the oompensatiori was wprked out tQ Rs.3,71 ,328/-. By awarding further sum of Rs.9,500/- under other heads, the Tribunal assessed the total Gompensation at Rs.3,80,328/-. By deducting a nominalsumofRs.10,328/-onaccountofthefactthat deceased Anil Patelwas drivlng the motoroyQle at the time pf flie accident without any driving license, the Tribunal awarded a total sum of Rs.3,70,000/- as connpensation to the claimarrts fer the death of deceased Anil Patel in the motdr accident. The Tribunal, further direeted payment of interest on the above amount of compensation of Rs.3,70,000/-@ 8% per annum from the dale of thefilingoTtheclaimpetit)ontillthedateofactual|^ment 6) Shri R PradhananclShriHarshMehant, leamedeounsel^fo^ •'theappellants submitted that the Tribunal tias erred in awwding only Rs.2^300/-; Rs.5,000/-; tte.2^0Q/-ti^rcls^^ lossofGonsQrtiumtpthewtclow;andlossofestate. 7) Shri Prashant Jayaswal, leamed Senior Goynsel Shri NeerajPradhan^leamedGounsel^rr^pondent^^ other hand support^a the awartf and contended that wtth jthe JtMe t^^'11 ^. compensatiohofRs.3,70,000/-awardedbytheTribunal isjustand propercompensationin the factsand GircumstanGesof the present case. - • ' , . • , ;.. ' - , -• • ^ ! 8) The claimants cannot have any legltimate grievance abtwt theassessment of the income ofthe deceased by the Triburai at Rs.2,900/- per month as the salary Gertificate of the deceased produced by theclaimants before the Tribunal established tt-te incomeofttiedeceasedtOtheextentofRs.2,900/-permonthonly. 9) The Glaimants' dependency afeo has be'en rightly assessed by the Tribunal at Rs.1 ,^^per month and^ Rs.^,208/- per annurn bydetluctJngtheusuall^oFthei^ his personal expenses. 10) The multiptierof 16 selected by the Trtbunal also cannot be found fault with considering that deceased Anil Patel was aged about 32 years on the date ot the aceident and in view of the recentdictumoftheApexG6yrtinthe(»seofSariaVenna(Smt) and (rthers Versus Delhi Transport Corporattem and anottier reported in (2009) 6 Supreme CpurfCases 121, wherein multiplier of 16 hasbeenprescribedfortheagegroupbetween 31-35 years. 11) Nevertheless, the Tribunal has certainly fallen Irtto error in awarding only Rs.2,000/-towarelsftineraleXRensesandRs.2,50Q/- tinA^rds lOss of estate. 12) Considering all the releyant aspects of ttie matter, we are of the cpnion that further awarctof fte.10,000/- iricl^^ componentontheenhancedamQUrrtofMmpensationw^ theGompenSation(}fRs.3,TO,000/-awaKte(tbyttieTribur^aS]just and Droper compensation in the tects and clrcumstances of the presentease. 13) For the feregyr^ isasons; the^^^^^^^ E^pellants/claimahts ^ enhancemerrt^ o^ compensaGon is allowed in part. Theclaimants are awarded further sym of Rs.10,000/- inclislve of inter^t comppnent on the enhanced amdunt of compensation, in addltion to the sum oT Rs.3,70,KKV- awarded bytheTribunal. 14) Respondent No.2 the Ortental Insurarace Com^hy Limtted is granted three months' time for depositing the total isum of Rs.10,0(X)/- befbre theconcemingClajmsTribunal. 15) NoorderastoGosts. ____— -ly^ Sd/- Chief Justice Sd/- RangnathCnandratar Judge