By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: The Patna High Court has mandated a compensation of Rs 8 lakh to the dependents of a victim who tragically died after falling from a train. The court clarified that under no circumstances should the compensation amount be less than Rs 8 lakh. This ruling was delivered by a single bench of Justice Sunil Dutt Mishra, who was presiding over an appeal filed by Shatrughan Sahu.
The court referred to a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Railways on December 22, 2016, which raised the minimum compensation for such incidents to Rs 8 lakh to eliminate any ambiguity. While amending the earlier order of the Railway Claims Tribunal, the court emphasized that if the total compensation amount, including interest, falls short of Rs 8 lakh, the tribunal must ensure the payment of at least Rs 8 lakh.
The case arose when the applicant’s son, Bipul Sao, tragically fell from a moving train at Anugrah Narayan Road Railway Station after being jostled by passengers. Despite being rushed to Sadar Hospital Anugrah Narayan for treatment, Bipul Saav succumbed to his injuries.
Following the incident, Bipul Sao’s father sought compensation from the Railway Claims Tribunal in Patna. The tribunal initially awarded Rs 4 lakh in compensation, along with 12% annual simple interest, for the death of the applicant’s unmarried son. Dissatisfied with this amount, the case was escalated to the High Court, leading to the increased compensation ruling.
