3 weeks ago
Mumbai MACT Awards ₹5.01 Crore to Ghatkopar Businessman's Kin
A 46-year-old man named Niraj Mehta went on a trip with his family and friends to a hill station called Mahabaleshwar.
He got out of his car near a garden called Mapro Garden to help another car park.
Suddenly, a bus came out fast from the gate and hit him.
He was taken to a hospital in Panchgani, but sadly he died.
The police said the bus driver caused the accident.
The family asked a special court, called the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, for help.
The court decided the bus driver was at fault and told the insurance company to pay the family a big amount of money—₹5.01 crore.
This money will help his wife, his two young children and his old parents.
The insurance company tried to say the driver did not have a valid licence, but it could not prove it.
The money is meant to help the family because the man used to earn a lot of money to support them.
The Mumbai Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) awarded ₹5.01 crore to the family of Ghatkopar businessman Niraj Mehta, killed in a 2024 Mahabaleshwar bus accident.
Tribunal member AA Ghaniwale pronounced the order on August 4, holding the bus driver responsible and rejecting the insurer's defenses.
Mehta was knocked down by a bus near Mapro Garden in Mahabaleshwar on January 26, 2024, around 6.45–6.55pm, while guiding another vehicle into a parking area.
The tribunal rejected the insurer's claims that the driver lacked a valid licence and the bus had no valid permit, citing a lack of evidence.
Compensation, for Mehta's widow, two minor children and elderly parents, was based on his ₹40.86 lakh 2023-24 income; it was MACT's second award above ₹5 crore in recent weeks.
- Who
- Niraj Mehta, a 46-year-old businessman from Ghatkopar, was the victim; his family received the compensation; tribunal member AA Ghaniwale pronounced the order.
- What
- The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded ₹5.01 crore compensation after a bus killed Mehta while he guided a vehicle into a parking area in Mahabaleshwar.
- Where
- The accident happened near Mapro Garden in Mahabaleshwar; Mehta was declared dead at Bel-Air Hospital in Panchgani.
- When
- The accident occurred on January 26, 2024; the compensation order was pronounced on August 4.
- Why
- The tribunal held the bus driver responsible for knocking down Mehta and rejected the insurer's defenses for lack of evidence.
Tribunal's Decision
Insurer's Defense
Liability for the accident
Tribunal's Decision
The tribunal held the bus driver fully responsible and dismissed the insurer's contributory negligence claim against Mehta.
Insurer's Defense
The insurer alleged contributory negligence on Mehta's part, suggesting he shared blame for the accident.
Driver's licence and vehicle permit
Tribunal's Decision
The tribunal rejected the contention that the driver lacked a valid licence and the bus lacked a valid permit, noting the insurer produced no evidence, witnesses or charge sheet.
Insurer's Defense
The insurer contended the bus driver had no valid and effective driving licence and the vehicle had no valid permit.
Calculation of income
Tribunal's Decision
The tribunal included short-term capital gains from share trading in Mehta's income, noting he regularly earned and paid tax on such income.
Insurer's Defense
The insurer argued short-term capital gains from share trading should be excluded from the income used to compute compensation.
Key facts
- Compensation awarded
- ₹5.01 crore
- Claimant
- Family of Niraj Mehta (widow, two minor children, elderly parents)
- Victim
- Niraj Mehta, 46, Ghatkopar businessman
- Accident date
- January 26, 2024
- Accident location
- Near Mapro Garden, Mahabaleshwar
- Order date
- August 4
- Net annual income (2023-24)
- ₹40.86 lakh
- Loss of dependency
- ₹4.98 crore
Sources
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