Mumbai: A Mumbai Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal has awarded Rs 1.1 crore compensation to an 11-year-old girl who lost her mother to a road accident.
The girl’s mother, Seeta Ashokan (37), died on May 11, 2015, after the scooty she and her husband were riding was hit from behind by a trailer at Mazagaon in Mumbai.
The case was initially filed by Ritika, her father Ashokan Kanapathy and maternal grandfather Anand Subbaya Rai. But both her father and grandfather passed away while the case was still pending, the Times of India reported.
She is now being looked after by her maternal grandmother who has no source of earnings.
Ritika’s mother was a school and tuition teacher and earned Rs 60,000 a month when she died. The tribunal noted that these details were important in deciding the amount of compensation.
“Considering the age of the deceased when she died in the accident, a long span of service was due to be enjoyed by her and there is likelihood of having great increase in her salary. But due to an accident she lost her life and lost her chance to live a better life,” the tribunal said.
Most of the compensation money will be put in a fixed deposit until the child turns 21 and the interest can be used by her every three months. However, about Rs 5.50 lakh including interest since 2015, will be given to her grandmother to help raise her.