Jharkhand govt. Announces compensation for drowning deaths

Jharkhand government today announced Rs 50,000 as compensation to the families, which lost their children in drowning in dobhas (small ponds).
Development Minister Nilkanth Singh Munda made the announcement in the state assembly after BJP MLA Biranchi Narayan raised the issue through point of information that those families who lost their wards in drowning be given compensation.
Narayan informed the House that compensation be announced to the families, whose children were drowned in dobhas across the state.
Family members of seven women who died in the accident
were among those awarded compensation.
K V Poojari, defence counsel for the insurance company, argued that kin of the deceased have already been paid Rs 3 lakh and Rs 40,000 has been given to the injured (by MSRTC) and hence these claims need not be considered. But this was rejected by the court.

He further submitted that the said amount be deducted from the compensation amount awarded to the applicants.
The judge, however, in his order citing a verdict by a bench of the Supreme Court in the case of Khenyei V/s New India Assurance Co. Ltd. Said "it would not be appropriate for the Tribunal to determine the extent of composite negligence of the drivers of two vehicles in the absence of impleadment of other joint tort feasors (i.E MSRCTC--bus owner and the bus driver, who have not been made a party in the case)."
Hence, impleaded joint tort feasors (owner and insurance company of the truck) are jointly and severally responsible to pay the above compensation to the applicants, he said.