Summary
The Supreme Court enhanced fatal-accident compensation to Rs. 12,67,000 by adding 25 per cent for future prospects for the deceased aged 41, deducting one-fourth for personal expenses and applying multiplier 14. It added Rs. 70,000 under conventional heads in accordance with Pranay Sethi. The Court retained the High Court’s nine per cent annual interest from the claim petition date. The accompanying corrigendum expressly confirms that the reduction from twelve to nine per cent was left undisturbed.
Issues
- Whether future prospects should be included in computing dependency.
- Whether the High Court’s nine per cent interest should be disturbed.
Held
- The deceased’s age warranted a 25 per cent addition for future prospects under Pranay Sethi. Using the annual income figure of Rs. 1,14,000 adopted in the judgment after that addition, one-fourth personal deduction and multiplier 14 yielded Rs. 11,97,000 dependency; Rs. 70,000 conventional damages brought the award to Rs. 12,67,000. (¶¶ 3, 4, 5)
- There was no reason to interfere with the High Court’s nine per cent interest rate. The corrigendum corrected the submissions and substituted paragraph 6 to make this explicit. Interest on the enhanced total runs from the claim petition date. (¶¶ 6, 7, Corrigendum, 1(i)–(ii))
Result
Appeal allowed; compensation enhanced to Rs. 12,67,000 with interest at nine per cent annually from the claim petition date. No order as to costs; interest position confirmed by corrigendum.