Compensation for death increased

The Bombay High Court dismissed the appeal of New India Assurance Ltd against the award of ~71 lakh for the death of a manager of the Patalganga project of Reliance Ltd, whose takehome monthly salary was ~52,000. The court raised the compensation to ~78 lakh. The 46-year-old executive was killed in a road accident and his widow and children moved the motor accident claims tribunal. The insurer argued that the manager, Sudam Auti, was talking on his mobile phone while driving his car and contributed to the collision with a van. The tribunal and the court disbelieved the story as no phone was recovered from the site.