Thane, March 14 The family of a 36-year-old software engineer who died in a road accident in 2024, was awarded ₹2.14 crore in compensation at a Lok Adalat in the Thane district of Maharashtra on Saturday.
Principal District and Sessions Judge S B Agrawal handed over the compensation cheque to the victim, Omkar Prakash Joshi's wife Dhanashree (35), and his 70-year-old mother Pradnya Prakash Joshi.
According to the claim details, Omkar and his colleague were traveling from Mumbai to Pune in a Swift Dzire on August 2, 2024, when the accident occurred. Around 7 pm, near a food mall on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, a speeding Tata Tigor EV crashed into their vehicle.
While Omkar, his colleague, and their driver were injured, Omkar could not be saved. At the time of his death, he was employed with a leading industrial automation company and had a monthly salary of ₹1.91 lakh.
The police had registered a case, attributing the accident to the "high, excessive, and uncontrollable speed" of the Tata Tigor driver.
The legal battle involved a leading power company and an insurer as opponents. After deliberations during the Lok Adalat, both parties reached an amicable settlement of ₹2.14 crore.
Advocate Megha Pendse represented the claimants, while advocate A M Phadtare appeared for the insurance company.
A Lok Adalat is an alternative dispute resolution system for the fast and inexpensive settlement of disputes, both pending in courts and at a pre-litigation stage, through conciliation and compromise. Awards by Lok Adalats have the status of a civil court decree.