2016 Delhi hit-and-run: Parents of victim who died in accident given Rs 1.96 Cr as compensation

In a recent ruling, a court in Delhi has ordered an insurance company to provide a compensation of Rs 1.98 crore to the parents of Siddharth Sharma, who tragically lost his life in a fatal accident in 2016.

Siddharth was aged 32 at the time of his demise and was fatally injured while crossing a road in the Civil Lines area of Delhi on April 4, 2016, due to reckless and negligent driving by a minor.

The Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT) bench, headed by Judge and presiding officer Pankaj Sharma, held the father of the minor driver responsible for fostering the unlawful behaviour that led to the unfortunate incident. The court emphasised on the father's failure to stop his minor son from driving, especially a Mercedes car, despite prior warnings. The negligence on the father's part was deemed a contributing factor in Siddharth's untimely death.

Considering Siddharth's academic pursuits and promising career prospects, the court arrived at the compensation amount of Rs 1.98 crore to be paid to his parents. The court further directed the insurance company to disburse approximately Rs 1.21 crore as compensation and around Rs 77.61 lakh as interest.

Emphasising the gravity of the incident, the court dismissed the minor's father's plea, seeking exemption from any sort of liability. It stressed upon the insurance company's right to recover the compensation from the father's company, which owned the vehicle involved in the accident.

The court's decision was influenced by a detailed accident report submitted by the police, which highlighted the minor driver's negligent and high-speed driving that led to Siddharth's fatal injuries. The police invoked section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) after reviewing CCTV footage that captured the reckless driving behaviour.

Expressing her dismay over the protracted legal proceedings after her brother's demise, Shilpa Mittal, the sister of the deceased, voiced her determination to seek justice. 

She said, "Despite the passing of eight years, the case is going on, and the compensation that should have been received within three years only arrived after a significant delay. It has been eight years, but the case is still going on. I will fight till my brother gets justice," the Times of India reported.

Meanwhile, no stringent action has been taken against the minor since the accident. Shilpa noted, "It has been eight years since his death, and the trial has still not started."