Kottayam: In a case initially dismissed by police as a routine road accident, the family of a deceased CRPF jawan has been awarded ₹1.60 crore in compensation. Kottayam Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) Judge Prasoon Mohan issued the verdict in favour of the heirs of Jayesh Kumar, a resident of Manjoor here.

The accident occurred in October 2021 at Kalarippadi on the Ettumanoor–Kaduthuruthy main road, when a speeding car hit Jayesh Kumar's bike, throwing him onto the road. Although Jayesh Kumar (36) was rushed to Kottayam Medical College Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries. He had come home on leave.

The Kuravilangad Police registered an FIR against the car driver, but later recorded that the crash occurred due to Jayesh’s negligence, leading to the case being written off. His wife, bedridden following the tragedy and relatives were unaware of the police's mismanagement. Later, when they received the criminal case documents for compensation, they learned that the police had saved the car driver from the case.

Jayesh’s wife subsequently filed a complaint with the district police chief seeking a reinvestigation, but no action followed. She then approached the Pala Judicial Magistrate Court. After reviewing eyewitness testimonies, police records and supporting evidence, the court concluded that the accident was caused solely by the car driver’s excessive speed and negligence. The driver was summoned directly, and the case was reopened.

Jayesh’s wife along with their three-year-old son and parents later approached the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal for compensation. The tribunal examined eyewitnesses and recorded evidence, including the original incident report submitted by the Kuravilangad Police and records from the magistrate's court. The tribunal reaffirmed that speeding and negligence by the driver were the causes of the accident.

The insurance company has been ordered to deposit ₹1,16,44,000 as compensation money, ₹7,35,000 towards court costs and ₹36,29,000 in interest from the date of filing of the case, totalling ₹1.60 crore, within 30 days.

Advocates V B Binu, C S Girija and S Raveendran appeared for the petitioners.