HC hikes relief to kin of student killed in accident

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

The Karnataka High Court has enhanced the compensation for the family of a diploma student who lost his life in a road accident in 2019, raising the amount to Rs 21,28,800 from the Rs 1,53,000 initially awarded by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal. The revised compensation is to be paid by the insurance company, which can later recover the amount from the vehicle owner. The order was passed by a division bench comprising Justices K S Mudagal and Vijayakumar A Patil. The case pertains to the death of 19-year-old M S Srihari, who was riding pillion with a friend, Aravind, on April 23, 2019. While traveling on the Hejjala-Kempadyapanahalli Road near Bengaluru, the rider lost control of the vehicle due to rash and high-speed driving.

The motorcycle crashed into a mud wall near Mallathahalli village in Ramanagara district, killing both on the spot. Srihari's family, including his parents and sister, had approached the Tribunal seeking Rs 30 lakh, citing that the young man was a diploma student at PES College here and earned Rs 20,000 per month through a milk vending business. The Tribunal, in its April 2022 order, awarded Rs 1.53 lakh, holding the motorcycle owner, Suraj Kumar, liable since the rider did not have a valid driving licence. Dissatisfied with the Tribunal's ruling, the family filed an appeal, arguing that the insurance company should be directed to pay the compensation upfront.