Mumbai, October 23, 2026: The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), Mumbai, has directed New India Roadways to pay ₹22,641 in compensation to the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking for damaging its street-lighting installation in Kamathipura in 2016.
The contractor has also been directed to pay six per cent annual interest on the amount from the date of filing the claim until realisation, along with costs.
“Considering that the applicant is a public utility undertaking maintaining electrical infrastructure, administrative overheads and incidental variations may ordinarily arise in the execution of restoration works. However, their recoverability depends upon whether they reasonably form part of the loss attributable to the accident. On the available material, and in the absence of any evidence suggesting duplication, inflation or inclusion of unrelated expenses, the Tribunal finds the departmental assessment sufficiently reliable for the limited claim of Rs.22,641,” the tribunal observed.
JCB Damage During Roadwork
In its October 22 order, the tribunal held that the damage was caused by the negligent operation of a JCB owned by New India Roadways during roadwork on Kamathipura’s 5th Lane on May 10, 2016.
BEST had approached the tribunal seeking compensation for damage to its electrical installation and associated street-lighting cables between two poles. It initially sought ₹22,641, along with 12 per cent annual interest.
Tribunal Examines Repair Costs
The tribunal, presided over by Shashikant Eknathrao Bangar, relied on the testimony of BEST’s authorised representative, a police station diary entry recorded at Nagpada police station two days after the incident, and departmental repair-cost records to establish the damage and the JCB’s involvement.
The tribunal noted that the departmental cost sheet recorded ₹5,181 towards materials and ₹13,686.10 towards labour. An additional 10 per cent each was included towards variation and overhead charges, bringing the total to ₹22,640.52, rounded off to ₹22,641.
While BEST’s representative claimed that the electric pole had been damaged, the tribunal noted that the cost sheet primarily documented the replacement of damaged street-lighting cables and associated electrical components. It found the documented restoration expenditure reasonable.
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Claim Allowed After Ex Parte Proceedings
New India Roadways did not appear before the tribunal, and the matter proceeded ex parte. However, the tribunal observed that the absence of a defence did not automatically entitle BEST to compensation and independently assessed the evidence before allowing the claim.
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