Mumbai News: 11-year-old loses mother in road accident, gets Rs 1.1 crore insurance compensation

An 11-year-old girl, Ritika Ashokan, was awarded ₹1.1 crore compensation by a road accident compensation tribunal. This decision came after her mother died in an accident in Mazgaon in 2015 when her scooter was hit by a trailer, reported The Times of India.

Ritika’s father and grandfather, who had originally filed the case, died while the case was pending, TOI reported. Mazgaon is one of the seven islands that formed the original city of Mumbai.

Seeta Ashokan, the child’s mother, was a 37-year-old teacher and tutor who ₹$60,000 a month when she died, the publication added. The court noted that these details were important in deciding the amount of compensation.

On May 11, 2015, Seeta Ashokan and her husband were riding a scooter when they were hit from behind by a speeding trailer. Trailer owner Vidyadhar Mishra and the insurance company Reliance General Insurance must now pay compensation.

The court ruled after hearing that the child, who is now living with her aged grandmother and has no income, needs money for school and daily needs. The child’s lawyer sought compensation for these needs instead of putting everything in a savings account, TOI reported.

“Considering the age of the deceased at the time of her accidental death, she would have had a long service ahead of her and would have expected a big salary hike. But the accident cost her her life and with it her chance for a better life,” TOI quoted the court as saying.

What happens to the money?

Most of the money is invested as a fixed deposit until the child turns 21, and he or she can earn interest every three months. ₹5.50 lakh, including interest since 2015, will be disbursed to her grandmother to support her upbringing and maintenance, TOI added.