Woman seeks ₹5 cr in damages for husband, daughter’s death

The Delhi high court on Monday sought the central government’s response to a woman’s plea seeking a higher compensation of ₹5 crore as well as cancellation of the permit of an air service provider after the death of her husband and daughter in a helicopter crash on way to the Vaishno Devi shrine.

The crash had taken place on November 25, 2015, within seconds of the take off.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva also issued notice to aviation regulator Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the company operating the air transport service and the insurance company with whom the helicopter was insured, on the plea of the woman named Priya.

The court asked the DGCA whether its policy on grant of licence to air transport service providers deals with the issue of providing insurance cover for no fault liability in case of crashes.

The judge also asked the regulator to place its policy before the high court on the next date of hearing on April 26.

The court asked for the policy of the DGCA as its lawyer told the court that there was a maximum compensation limit of ₹20 lakh for no fault liability, but no minimum amount.

The petitioner has sought a compensation of ₹5 crore from the air service provider, Himalyan Heli Services Pvt Ltd, as well as cancellation of its permit to operate.

In her plea, filed through advocate Arun Khatri, she has also sought compensation from the DGCA and the civil aviation ministry for allowing the air transport company to operate the helicopter allegedly without mandatory safety and insurance compliance.

The petitioner has contended that the chopper service operator tried to lower the amount payable for her husband and daughter’s death to ₹20 lakh and ₹10 lakh, respectively, from the initial offer of ₹ 25 lakh each.