A city Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has asked the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to pay over Rs. 53 lakhs to the kin of a 38-year-old man who succumbed to injuries in March 2015 after being knocked down by its bus.
Santosh Salve, who was employed with Security Guards Board for Brihanmumbai and Thane district had sustained serious head and vital organ injuries in the fateful mishap.
As per the claim of Rs. 40 lakhs filed by his family, on 18 March 2015 at 4.15 PM, he was riding his motorcycle on the Sion - Panvel highway and was near the Mankhurd Railway Bridge when the ST bus that was being driven at an excessive speed hit his bike from the rear. Seriously injured due to the fall, he was taken by the police to Rajawadi hospital where he succumbed to injuries the same day.
His family - including parents, wife and two children stated in their complaint that they were dependent on his monthly earning of Rs. 17,500. The accident took place due to negligence of the bus driver, they said.
MSRTC had denied fault before the Tribunal and claimed that the accident was due to sole negligence on part of Salve and that it was a speeding Tavera car that had knocked him down.
Tribunal member Dr Srishty Neelkanth relied on the police papers, Salve's wife's evidence and the principle of preponderance of probabilities to hold that Salve had died due to negligence on part of the bus driver. She said the MSRTC had failed to prove contributory negligence on part of Salve.
