JUDGMENT
J.R. Goyal, J.
1. This appeal Under Section 173 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, has been filed by the appellants for enhancement of the compensation awarded by the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal, Karauli in Claim Petition No. 26/1994.
2. The claimant-appellants, who are father and mother of deceased-Bachhu Singh, filed claim petition with the averments that on 19.2.1994 at about 1.00 p.m., on account of rash and negligent driving, the bus bearing No. MP 06-A 1428 hit their son Bachhu Singh, aged 10 years, as a result of which he received severe injuries and died in the hospital. Bachhu Singh was a student of II Standard.
3. Learned Tribunal passed an award of Rs. 76,800/- in favour of the appellants. Aggrieved by the award on the ground of inadequacy, this appeal has been preferred.
4. Heard learned Counsel for the parties and perused the entire record.
5. Learned counsel for the appellants submitted that the deceased-Bachhu Singh died at the age of 10 years due to rash and negligent driving of the bus, but the Tribunal has awarded only a meagre amount as compensation to the claimants. In support of his submission he relied upon the decision of Division Bench of this Court in Shaitan Jat and Anr. v. Lala Ram Jat and Ors., SAC 115/2003. Hon’ble Supreme Court in Shanti Bai and Ors. v. Charan Singh and Ors., II (1998) ACC 488 (SC) = 1998 ACJ 848 and in Haji Zainullah Khan (dead) by LRs. v. Nagar Mahapalika, Allahabad, 1994 ACJ 993, in similar circumstances, has awarded compensation of Rs. 1.5 lacs to the claimants.
6. Learned counsel for the respondent-Insurance Company, on the other hand, argued that the compensation awarded by the learned Tribunal is just and reasonable.
7. I have considered the rival contentions. The fact that deceased-Bachhu Singh was only 10 years of age at the time of death due to the accident, is not disputed. The Division Bench of this Court as well as the Hon’ble Supreme Court have held that in the matters of death of a child due to accident, compensation of a sum of Rs. 1.5 lac is reasonable. Therefore, in the present case I am of the view that the compensation awarded by the Tribunal is required to be enhanced to Rs. 1.5 lac.
8. Consequently, the appeal is allowed. The compensation of Rs. 76,800/-awarded by the learned Tribunal is enhanced to Rs. 1.5 lacs along with interest at the rate of 6% per annum, on the enhanced amount, from the date of filing of the claim petition.