Kin of 39-yr-old get nearly Rs 40 lakh compensation

Family members of a 39-year-old man, who was killed after being hit by a rashly-driven tractor, have been awarded compensation of nearly Rs 40 lakh by a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) here.
The tribunal directed National Insurance Company Ltd, insurer of the offending vehicle, to pay Rs 39,81,068 to the family members of Hari Dutt Sharma, a Delhi resident, who was on a motorcycle when the tractor hit him in 2011.
The MACT, while deciding the petition in the favour of victim's family members, relied on the testimony of an eyewitness and documents on record, including FIR, charge sheet and post mortem report.

"Therefore, from the statement of eye witness Lokesh Sharma and in view of the criminal case record, it is proved that the deceased Hari Dutt Sharma sustained fatal injuries in accident which occurred due to rash and negligent driving of offending vehicle," MACT Presiding Officer Kiran Bansal said.
The tribunal also noted that the driver of the tractor did not step into the witness box to state how the accident had occurred or say anything in his defence.
According to the petition, filed by Sharma's wife and five other family members, on the evening of August 21, 2011 when Sharma was returning home on his bike, the rashly driven tractor trolley hit and ran over him near Shiv Vihar in east Delhi.

Sharma was taken to GTB hospital where he died during treatment, it said.
In their written statements, the driver and owner had denied the rash and negligent aspect and also termed the contents of the petition as false.
The proceedings against the owner of the tractor were abated as he died during pendency of the matter.