Priya Jain was killed in November, 2011.
By The American Bazaar Staff
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has been ordered to pay more than Rs. 12 lakh (approximately $20,000) to the family of a 21 year-old girl, who was killed after being struck by a DTC bus in late 2011.
Priya Jain was killed on November 23, 2011, when she was struck by an irresponsibly driven DTC truck. The company that insured the bus, the United India Insurance Company (UIIC), has now been instructed by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) to pay Rs. 1,242,288 to the girl’s surviving parents.
Jain’s mother, Mamata, filed the petition for compensation, and testified in front of the MACT along with her husband, Deepak, who is Jain’s father. The latter passed away during the course of the litigation, leaving only Mamata Jain as the sole benefactor of the settlement.
The MACT said that their testimonies were sufficient to win the case, saying that there would not be any rebuttals heard, as both the testimonies and the criminal reports established beyond any doubt that the DCT driver’s rash behavior was solely responsible for causing the girl’s untimely demise.
Jain was a student at Delhi University when the incident occurred. According to police reports, the incident happened in broad daylight, around 11:30 AM local time. While crossing the street, she was hit by someone riding a bike, and had fallen down on the road. As she was struggling to get up, the DTC bus hit her, causing severe head injuries and other bone fractures.
The bus driver, 51 year-old Govind Lal, was arrested and charged with negligent driving. He reportedly tried to flee the scene after striking Jain, and later told police that she had rushed out into the streets, leaving him little time to apply the brakes or swerve. Witnesses also said that Jain may have been listening to music on earphones, and could not properly hear her surroundings, adding another layer of confusion.
At the end of the day, however, the MATC found that Jain’s parents had suffered enough mental trauma and despair to warrant a substantial financial payment. The fate of Lal’s criminal trial is currently not known; he was last being kept in police custody in the immediate aftermath of Jain’s unfortunate death.