UNITED INDIA INSURANCE CO LTD Vs. KANSHI RAM

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This case brings into light the twin tragedies suffered by Respondent Nos.1 and 2. The first tragedy was the murder of their son, the driver of a truck, on 28th January 1993; the second tragedy is the gross delay that has occurred in settling their claim for compensation under the provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923 (for short the Act). Nothing can be done to mitigate the first, but surely some thought needs to be given to speed up the disposal of cases involving compensation for death.

(2.) The Appellant, an insurance company, seeks to find fault with an order dated 15th May 2001 passed by the Commissioner under the Act awarding compensation to the parents of the deceased, Sohan Lal Verma.

(3.) Sohan Lal was working as a driver with M/s Manoj Roadlines. As a part of his duties, he was taking a truck from Delhi to Hyderabad alongwith a second driver Jeet Singh. It appears that somewhere in Rajasthan, he was murdered. The truck was missing for a few days and when the police located it during investigations, it was revealed that some of the goods that were being transported in the truck were stolen. Investigations also revealed that Jeet Singh had committed the murder.