Latest news with #RailwayClaimsTribunal
Hindustan Times
29-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Only 1,400 families of 26,547 railway accident victims have received compensation in 10 years
MUMBAI: Families of only 1,408 of the 26,547 people who died while travelling on Mumbai's suburban railway network in the past 10 years have been compensated. This was revealed in a Right to Information (RTI) query from Indian Railways by activist Godfrey Pimenta recently. Jiten fell to his death while boarding an overcrowded CST-bound train in Kalwa, in 2012 More than 70 lakh passengers travel by local trains – considered Mumbai's lifeline -- every day. The deaths are caused by overcrowding – as was the case on June 9 when two overcrowded trains passed one another near Mumbra station, leading to five people falling off and losing their lives -- or by passengers getting trapped in the gap between the platform and the train. Crossing tracks irresponsibly or stampede, such as the one on September 29, 2017, at the Elphinstone Road Railway Station, where 22 people were killed, are other occurrences that lead to deaths. On an average, at least eight people die in such incidents on all three railway lines in Mumbai every day, which is not surprising as a single coach is packed with 1,800 passengers -- two to three times over its actual capacity. However, only a fraction of families of the dead have received compensation from the railways in the last decade. The maximum compensation given to a family is ₹8 lakh. The railways has spent ₹103.71 crore to pay families of 1,408 deceased passengers between January 1, 2015 and May 31, 2025, whereas 494 injured have received financial assistance of ₹14.24 crore in this duration. Siddhesh Desai, vice president of Mumbai Railway Pravasi Sangh, a body that works to solve passengers' issues, said, 'The tragic deaths are not mere statistics – they represent systemic neglect by authorities responsible for ensuring commuter safety. They can be prevented with better infrastructure and governance.' Madhu Kotian, member of a railway passengers' association, said, 'Delay in justice is unacceptable. Railway accident victims and their families deserve dignity and timely support. We urgently need to fast-track compensation claims with strict timelines, set up more benches of the Railway Claims Tribunal in Mumbai, fix accountability on the Railway, Government Railway Police (GRP), and other relevant agencies to curb safety lapses, and ensure timely completion of pending projects, foolproof fencing, foot-overbridges and widening platforms.' Sixty-six-year-old A P Wara, whose son Jiten fell to his death while boarding an overcrowded CST-bound train in Kalwa, in 2012, has been struggling to get compensation for the last 13 years. Twenty-nine-year-old Jiten worked at Thomas Cook in Nariman Point. 'I lost my son due to overcrowding, but the Railway Claims Tribunal suspected it to be a case of suicide, as no witness came forward to confirm the incident. I was made to go to the tribunal several times and submit various documents,' said Wara, adding that while her husband was alive 'he would make the rounds of the courts, which I have taken over since his death in 2022'. Twenty-two-year-old Neha Trivedi, who was on her way to work in Vile Parle from Jogeshwari in 2013, was pushed off an overcrowded platform onto the tracks and was hit by a local, leading to her death, said her father Ram Trivedi, 58, a daily wage worker. 'We have been making the rounds of the tribunal for compensation. Neha was the only steady earning member of our house and the compensation money would have helped us educate our younger daughter,' said Trivedi. 'We have now lost all hope and stopped going to the tribunal as we cannot afford the commute just to return empty handed,' said Trivedi, adding that the lawyer representing him has assured justice will prevail. 'Although we know that it is of no use we are still hoping,' he said. 'Despite an increase in the ex-gratia relief by Indian Railways – from the earlier ₹50,000 to ₹8 lakh – the enhancement only seems more symbolic than substantial given the magnitude of loss and suffering experienced by victims' families. Even the revised amounts fail to match rising living costs and emotional toll on families. More worryingly, disparities persist across different states and incidents, leading to unequal pay outs for victims who deserve the same protection under the law,' said Pimenta.
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Indian Express
‘Hyper technical reasons not sustainable in the eyes of law': Karnataka HC awards compensation for minor's death in 2012 train accident
The Karnataka High Court on May 2 ordered the payment of compensation for the death of a minor who fell off a train in 2012 in Karnataka, observing that the original dismissal of the claim for technical reasons was not correct. The order, which was passed by a bench consisting of Justice Hanchate Sanjeevkuma, was made available this week. The minor and his cousin had purchased a train ticket from Raichur to Yeshwantpur in 2012. After crossing the Dharmavaram station, the deceased fell off the train while washing his hands at a washbasin, sustaining fatal injuries. The Railway Claims Tribunal had dismissed the claim of the victim's family members because while an eight-year-old had died in the accident, different papers mentioned the age as 8 or 20 years, raising doubts whether it was the same person. The Tribunal also questioned the discrepancies in the mention of the time of the accident. The Karnataka High Court disagreed with this reasoning, observing that the complaint, First Information Report (FIR), postmortem report, witness statements etc, all established that the deceased was eight years old. The bench stated, 'There may be some discrepancies in mentioning the age of the deceased as 8 to 20 years, but this discrepancy shall not be exaggerated so as to reject the claim petition.' The court also disagreed with the 'hyper-technical' reasoning applied in the earlier decision. 'The reason assigned by the Tribunal is so trivial, which absolutely could not be accepted. The claim petition is dismissed with all its possible hyper-technical reasons which are not sustainable in the eyes of law. When all the evidence on record placed before the trial Court conclusively proves the fact that the deceased died in the accident, but only on a hyper-technical reason, dismissing the claim petition is absolutely not correct.' After making these observations, the court ordered the payment of Rs 400,000 calculated at 8 per cent interest per annum. The court added that if the amount stood less than Rs 800,000, then that would be the sum of compensation instead.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Time of India
Karnataka high court says justice above technicalities, awards Rs 8 lakh to family of boy killed in rail accident
Bengaluru: The Karnataka high court has awarded a compensation of Rs 8 lakh to the family of an eight-year-old boy, who tragically died in a railway accident in 2012. Overturning the Railway Claims Tribunal's ruling which had dismissed the claims petition on technical grounds, it said justice should be prioritised over technical rigidity. SN Nanda Kumar's parents, SK Devanna and Bettamma, residents of Athnoor village in Manvi taluk, Raichur, had approached the tribunal seeking compensation after their son fatally fell off a moving train. On the night of March 31, 2012, Nanda Kumar, accompanied by his cousin Amaresh, had boarded the Bagalkot-Yesvantpur Express at Raichur after purchasing a combined journey ticket. The two were travelling to Yesvantpur in a general compartment. According to the family's claim, the accident occurred shortly after the train passed the Dharmavaram station. While using the washbasin near the toilets, the child reportedly slipped due to the train's jerks and speed, falling between Dharmavaram and Nagasamudram railway stations. He sustained severe injuries and died on the spot. The tribunal, however, dismissed the claim, citing inconsistencies in the records regarding the boy's age — which varied between eight and 20 years — and uncertainty over whether the incident took place during the day or at night. The family challenged the decision in the high court, where Justice Hanchate Sanjeevkumar examined the available evidence, including the FIR, complaint, post-mortem report, and witness testimonies. He found the discrepancies in the child's age to be minor and not grounds for rejecting the claim. The judge concluded that the tribunal's reasons for dismissal were "trivial" and lacked legal merit. In his ruling, Justice Sanjeevkumar noted that the evidence clearly established that the boy died as a result of the accident and held that the tribunal's dismissal was "hyper-technical" and legally unsustainable. He emphasised that the tribunal should prioritise justice over procedural rigidity, especially in cases involving loss of life.
India Today
02-05-2025
- India Today
Railways asked to compensate family of man who died in train mishap 14 years ago
The Bombay High Court has set aside a Railway Claims Tribunal order that denied compensation to the family of a passenger who died in an accident on the grounds of "self-inflicted injury due to negligence".The court ruled that the death was an "untoward incident" and not a result of criminal negligence, entitling the family to compensation under the Railways Act 14 after the passenger died. advertisementThe case pertains to VJ Thakur, a resident of Nanded, who was travelling with a valid ticket on the Adilabad-Tirupati-Krishna Express from Adilabad to Kinwat on October 10, 2011. As the train approached Kinwat Railway Station, Thakur stood near the door waiting for the crowd to clear. A sudden jerk during the halt caused him to fall from the train and come under the wheels. He was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his wife and married daughter sought compensation of Rs 4 lakh under the Railways Act, 1989. However, the South-Central Railway contested the claim, arguing that the incident resulted from Thakur's own negligence. The Nagpur Bench of the Railway Claims Tribunal agreed and dismissed the claim, classifying the death as a self-inflicted 2017, the family challenged the tribunal's order in the Bombay High Court. Advocate PS Agrawal, appearing for the appellants, argued that the tribunal's decision was flawed as it relied on statements from people who were not eyewitnesses to the also pointed out that no documentary evidence or spot panchnama supported the tribunal's conclusion that Thakur attempted to de-board a moving Sandipkumar C More, who heard the matter, held that mere negligence does not amount to 'self-inflicted injury' under the Railways Act. The court clarified that only acts involving criminal negligence can disqualify a claim for compensation. It emphasised that there was no conclusive evidence to prove such criminal negligence in this court noted that while Thakur's wife had stated he may have tried to de-board a moving train, she was not an eyewitness. Statements from the station master, train guard, and loco pilot were also found to be hearsay and thus unreliable to determine fault."Even assuming that the deceased tried to de-board a running train, such an act, in the absence of criminal intent or recklessness, cannot be treated as a self-inflicted injury," the court the incident an unfortunate accident, the High Court concluded that it fell within the definition of an "untoward incident" under the Railways Agrawal also pointed to a 2016 amendment to the Railway Accidents and Untoward Incidents (Compensation) Rules, which increased the compensation amount for death cases from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 8 the High Court quashed the tribunal's order and directed the Railways to pay Rs 8 lakh as compensation to Thakur's Watch
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Time of India
Raveen Reddy assumes charge as member of Railway Claims Tribunal
Hyderabad: K Raveen Kumar Reddy assumed charge as member (technical) of the Railway Claims Tribunal, Secunderabad bench. The Railway Claims Tribunal is a quasi-judicial institution established in 1989 under the RCT Act 1987. These benches were set up in different parts of the country to expeditiously settle disputes regarding claims for refunds of fares, freight charges, and claims for compensation pertaining to accidents and untoward incidents in Indian Railways . You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad Prior to this position, Raveen Kumar Reddy worked as additional member (traffic transportation) on the Railway Board, New Delhi. During his tenure, he was responsible for train operations of both passenger and freight segments across Indian Railways. He was also instrumental in running several special trains to Prayagraj from different parts of the country during the Maha Kumbh Mela.
