Pune MACT awards ₹19 crore to family of Mumbai businessman killed in 2012 crash
Tribunal chairman Mahendra K. Mahajan, held the truck driver solely responsible for the accident that killed Rajiv Vinod Shah, a businessman from Vile Parle
Pune: The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Pune has awarded around ₹19 crore in compensation to the family of a 41-year-old Mumbai businessman who was killed in a 2012 accident on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway in Maharashtra. The Tribunal granted a principal compensation of ₹10.95 crore.
With 7.5% annual interest added from March 1, 2016 to November 13, 2025 — a period of nearly nine years and eight months — the total amount rose to ₹19.20 crore, almost double the original award due to the long pendency of the case.
The judgment, delivered on November 13 by Tribunal chairman Mahendra K. Mahajan, held the truck driver solely responsible for the accident that killed Rajiv Vinod Shah, a businessman from Vile Parle.
Shah was travelling to Pune in his Honda City on January 9, 2012, when a speeding truck first hit another Honda City coming from the opposite direction. The impact caused that car to cross the divider and crash into Shah’s vehicle. His car then moved into the second lane and was struck by an Asiad bus, causing it to overturn. Shah died on the spot from severe injuries.
The insurance company argued that the crash involved composite negligence because multiple vehicles were part of the sequence.
The Tribunal rejected this and held that the truck driver’s negligent driving alone caused the accident. The FIR registered at the Talegaon Dabhade police station had charged the truck driver under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Motor Vehicles Act.
The Tribunal awarded ₹10.95 crore towards loss of dependency, ₹2.8 lakh towards loss of consortium and love and affection, and ₹18,000 each towards funeral expenses and loss of estate.
The calculation was based on Shah’s annual income of ₹1.20 crore as shown in income-tax returns, after income-tax deduction, adding 25% towards future prospects, a one-fourth deduction for personal expenses, and applying a multiplier of 14 considering his age.
The Tribunal disallowed the claim of ₹6.87 lakh for loss of the car due to lack of supporting evidence. It also declined to consider over ₹1 crore declared as capital gains and other income in the tax returns, stating these categories were not specifically mentioned in the claim petition.
Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative Limited (IFFCO)-Tokio General Insurance Co. Ltd. and truck owner Vishnu Nivrutti Chavan were directed to pay the amount jointly and severally, with interest calculated from March 1, 2016 — the date the claim was filed.
The claim petition, filed under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, was received on February 1, 2016, registered on April 28, 2016, and decided after nine years and eight months. The case proceeded ex parte after the opponents failed to appear despite a public notice.
Pune's Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded ₹19 crore to the family of Rajiv Vinod Shah, a businessman killed in a 2012 Mumbai-Pune Expressway accident. The Tribunal held the truck driver solely responsible and granted ₹10.95 crore in principal compensation, which grew due to interest. The claim process took nearly nine years, with the Tribunal rejecting claims for vehicle loss.