Mumbai: For the second time in recent weeks, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has awarded compensation exceeding ₹5 crore, granting ₹5.01 crore to the family of 46- year-old Ghatkopar businessman Niraj Mehta, who died in a road accident during a Mahabaleshwar trip in 2024.
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In July, the tribunal had awarded ₹19.97 crore to a 54- year-old Mulund resident who suffered 82% permanent disability in a 2022 accident, a case reported by FPJ.
In an order pronounced on August 4, tribunal member AA Ghaniwale rejected the insurer’s contention that the bus driver lacked a valid and effective driving licence and that the vehicle had no valid permit. It held that the insurer had failed to produce evidence, examine any witness or place even the charge sheet on record to substantiate its claims.
According to the claim, Mehta had stepped out of his car near Mapro Garden in Mahabaleshwar on January 26, 2024, and was guiding another vehicle carrying family and friends into the parking area when, around 6.45pm to 6.55pm, a bus allegedly emerged from the gate at high speed and knocked him down. He was taken to Bel-Air Hospital in Panchgani, where he was declared dead.
The Panchgani police booked the driver. The insurer also alleged contributory negligence on Mehta’s part, but the tribunal held the bus driver responsible.
The compensation was awarded to Mehta’s widow, two minor children and elderly parents. The tribunal accepted his 2023-24 net annual income of ₹40.86 lakh and rejected the insurer’s argument that short-term capital gains from share trading should be excluded, noting that he regularly earned and paid tax on such income.
It added 25% towards future prospects, deducted onefourth for personal expenses and, applying a multiplier of 13, calculated loss of dependency at ₹4.98 crore. Additional sums were awarded for conveyance, funeral expenses, loss of estate and consortium.
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