Summary
The Supreme Court increased compensation for a deceased bachelor pursuing chartered accountancy to Rs. 8,86,800. It retained the tribunal’s Rs. 6,000 monthly income because higher-income certificates were unproved, but added 40% future prospects and applied multiplier 17 as expressly directed in the judgment. Dependency was Rs. 8,56,800, with Rs. 15,000 each for estate loss and funeral expenses. Interest was fixed at 7.5% from the claim petition until realization.
Issues
- Whether unproved income certificates, omission of future prospects and use of parental age justified revising the award.
Held
- No witness from the alleged issuing companies proved the higher-income certificates. The tribunal’s Rs. 6,000 monthly assessment therefore remained undisturbed; the deceased’s professional studies did not themselves establish the claimed Rs. 15,000 actual earnings. (¶¶ 3, 5, 6)
- The multiplier should follow the deceased rather than parental age, and future prospects should be included. The Court expressly applied multiplier 17 and 40% addition, with the bachelor’s deduction, producing dependency of Rs. 8,56,800. These are the judgment’s operative figures. (¶ 7)
- Rs. 15,000 each for loss of estate and funeral expenses brought the total to Rs. 8,86,800. The claimants were allowed 7.5% annual interest from filing of the MACT petition to realization. (¶¶ 7, 8)
Result
Appeal allowed; compensation enhanced to Rs. 8,86,800 with 7.5% annual interest from the claim petition until realization. No costs.