Family members of an Army man, who died in a road accident involving a rashly driven car, have been awarded a compensation of over Rs. 55 lakh by a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in New Delhi.

MACT Presiding Officer Deepak Jagotra directed Tata AIG General Insurance Company Ltd, with which the car was insured, to pay Rs. 55,19,926 to the wife, minor son and parents of 29-year-old Anil Kumar, who was working as a Army jawan.

Anil’s family, in their petition, said the accident took place on October 29, 2010, when a Swift car, being driven by Harbhajan Singh in a rash and negligent manner, hit the victim’s motorcycle from behind near Dhaula Kuan. He fell down and received fatal injuries and died.

The tribunal relied on the statement of Anil’s brother Praveen Kumar, who was an eyewitness to the accident, in which he had said that in the afternoon, he along with his father was going on their bike while Anil was on another motorcycle ahead of them.

When they reached Dhaula Kuan towards AIIMS side, Ring Road near Dhaula Kuan underpass, the car came at a high speed and hit the victim’s motorcycle from behind due to which he fell down and received fatal injuries, the witness said.

The tribunal said the witness was trustworthy as he had seen the entire accident and his testimony remained unshaken and without any contradiction.

His family told the tribunal that Anil, a resident of Badarpur border, was in the Army and was earning Rs. 25,000 per month. They said he was the sole bread earner in the family.

The tribunal noted that the car driver had admitted his presence at the accident spot.