UNION OF INDIA Vs. KONDURU VENKATA REDDY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) ALL these matters arising out of the claim at the instance of legal heirs of the deceased who died in an untoward incident while travelling in a passenger train are referred to this Court by a learned single judge of this Court for being answered on a common question as to 'whether the claimants would be entitled to interest on the amount determined by the Railway Claims tribunal from the date of the application'.

(2.) FOR consideration of the aforesaid question, the background, in short, of all the cases giving rise to such claim is taken up from one of the appeals, i. e. CMA. No. 3491 of 2002.

(3.) THE first applicant is the wife of the deceased and applicants No. 2 to 5 are their children. They filed an application being oaa. No. 104 of 1998 claiming compensation of Rs. 4,00,000/- on account of death of the deceased, by name, Sri. K. Saraiah. The Railway Claims Tribunal, after conducting regular enquiry, allowed the said application, awarding compensation of rs. 4,00,000/-, with specific direction that the railway administration shall deposit the compensation amount within sixty days and if it fails to deposit the said amount within the stipulated time, the applicants/claimants are entitled to receive interest at 9% per annum from the date of the order only, on the amount of compensation.