In a significant judgment, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) of Thane has awarded a compensation of Rs 19.24 lakh to the bereaved parents of a young man who tragically lost his life in a motorcycle accident in 2018.
MACT member S N Shah issued the order on April 4, 2025, with details made public on Saturday. The deceased, identified as Rahul Jadhav, aged 22, was involved in a fatal collision on the night of November 23, 2018, while riding on the Mumbra-Panvel Road. According to Advocate S T Kadam, who represented Jadhav’s parents, the accident occurred when a speeding two-wheeler, traveling on the wrong side of the road, crashed into Rahul’s motorcycle.
Rahul sustained critical head injuries and was rushed to a hospital in Nerul, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Subsequently, an FIR was lodged under section 304-A (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act against the rider of the other motorcycle.
The legal proceedings moved forward ex parte against Motiram Shalik Kadu, the registered owner of the offending motorcycle, who failed to submit a written statement despite receiving due notice.
The tribunal’s decision was based on various pieces of evidence presented by the petitioners, including the FIR, eyewitness accounts, spot panchnama, inquest panchnama, and the provisional cause of death certificate, which collectively established the accident’s occurrence and the respondent’s negligence.
As per the tribunal’s directives, the awarded compensation of Rs 19.24 lakh must be deposited within a month. The settlement details include an individual compensation of Rs 4.62 lakh for each parent and an additional Rs 5 lakh to be secured in fixed deposits in their names at nationalized banks for a period of five years, ensuring financial security and support.
