Police constable involved in fatal road accident: Tribunal awards Rs 22.37 Lakh to victim’s family

THANE: The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) awarded ₹22.37 lakh to the family of a 50-year-old man who died after being struck by a vehicle driven by a police constable. The ruling, delivered by Member R.V.

Mohite, came after nearly four years of hearings.The incident occurred on June 21, 2021, when the victim, a housekeeper, was walking along the extreme left side of a road near Gram Vikas Chowk. He was hit by a speeding vehicle driven by a 23-year-old police constable, sustaining severe head injuries. The victim succumbed to his injuries the following day in hospital. The deceased is survived by his 65-year-old mother and four children, who were the claimants in the case and moved the petition in the tribunal seeking compensation for the dependents on the deceased.

The tribunal awarded ₹2.37 lakh to the mother, while each child received ₹5 lakh, with ₹2 lakh from each child’s share to be invested in fixed deposits for three years in nationalised banks.CCTV footage from multiple locations revealed that the vehicle fled the scene immediately after the collision before returning to take the injured man to hospital. Despite being a serving constable, the driver failed to inform the local police station.

Investigations also revealed he did not hold a valid driving licence, violating both the law and insurance policy terms.The tribunal relied on salary slips and employment certificates to determine the deceased’s annual income at ₹2.61 lakh. Using Supreme Court guidelines, compensation was calculated, including additional amounts for future prospects, loss of consortium, funeral expenses, and loss of estate. The tribunal directed the insurance company to disburse the compensation to the family first, despite the policy breach, retaining the right to recover the amount from the vehicle owner later.