MOST. SONIA Vs. NARESH SAO

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS appeal has been filed by the claimants -appellants for enhancement of compensation awarded by the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Tribunal, Hazaribagh in Claim Case No. 49 of 2004 wherein the Tribunal has awarded Rs. 194,200/ -.

(2.) THE admitted facts are that the claimants -appellants filed application for grant of compensation of Rs. 2,00,000/ - for the death of Chatur Mahto. According to the claim petition Chatur Mahto while returning to his village on a tractor bearing No. JH 020 -1751 met with an accident as a result of which he received grievous injury and died. The claimants' case was that he was earning Rs. 2,000/ - per month by doing work as a labourer. The Tribunal assessed compensation by taking his monthly income as Rs. 1,800/ - per month. We do not find any error in the findings recorded by the Tribunal.

(3.) MR . Atanu Banerjee, learned Counsel appearing for the appellants submitted that if multiplier of 15 or 16 would have been taken then the appellants would have been entitled to get more than Rs. 2,00,000/ -. Learned Counsel further submitted that the Tribunal or the Court has got jurisdiction to grant compensation more than compensation claimed in the claim petition. In this regard learned Counsel relied upon the decision of a Bench of this Court in the case of New India Assurance Co. Ltd. v. (Most.) Sundia Devi and Ors. There is no dispute with regard to the legal proposition that the Tribunal got jurisdiction to grant compensation more than the amount claimed in the claim petition, if evidence to that effect has been brought on record and only if the claim petition is amended. In the case of Nagappa v. Gurudayal Singh and Ors. AIR 2002 SCW 5348 the Supreme Court held that enhanced compensation can be claimed by amending the claim petition even at the appellate stage. Since the appellants have not amended the claim petition even at the appellate stage nor drawing our attention to the evidence on the basis of which amount of compensation could be enhanced, we have no option, but to hold that the compensation awarded by the Tribunal is just and reasonable and as per the claim made by the claimants.