CHENNAI: The Principal Special Court under Essential Commodities and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act Chennai has directed Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation to pay a compensation of Rs 22 lakh to parents of a 27-year-old woman died in a car accident involving TNSTC bus eight years ago. In the petition V.R. Veerappan and his wife V.S. Valliammai submitted that their daughter Priya alias Shanmugapriya, 27, had completed a degree and working in a private company. She was earning Rs 39,260 per month.
Priya was travelling in a car on GST Road, near Vikkravandi and proceeding towards Tindivanam on October 17, 2010, at about 11 pm. A TNSTC bus, which was driven in a rash and negligent manner by its driver, dashed against the car. She was crushed to death. The Vikravandi police station filed a case against the bus driver. They had depended on the income of Priya. The accident was caused by the bus driver and hence, managing director, TNSTC liable to pay a compensation to them.
The MD replied that the accident occurred due to the careless and negligent driving of the car driver and not because of the bus driver. The car was moving at a high speed. The car driver drove the car in a rash and negligent manner. The driver lost control over the vehicle and the car dashed against the bus. The car driver was responsible for the accident. Hence, the petition was liable to be dismissed. The Principal Special Judge K. Ayyappa held that the accident took place due to the negligence of the bus driver. The judge directed the TNSTC to pay a compensation of '22,07,000 to the petitioners along with interest of 7.5 per cent per annum from November 2012.
