Mumbai, May 12 — The Bombay High Court has upheld a compensation of ₹62 lakh awarded to the family of Charu Khandal, a young animator with Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, who died five years after being paralyzed in a hit-and-run accident.
A division bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Advait Sethna on May 9 dismissed an appeal by Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company challenging a 2020 tribunal order, stating there was “no perversity, illegality or irregularity” in awarding the amount.
The court emphasized the Motor Vehicles Act as a “beneficial legislation”. It cited Article 21 of the Constitution, affirming that fair compensation must be the norm, even if perfect compensation is elusive.
A Tragic Story
Khandal, just 28 at the time, had worked on the VFX for Ra.One. In March 2012, while returning from a celebratory party in Oshiwara, a speeding car crashed into her autorickshaw, leaving her paralyzed from the neck down. She battled quadriplegia for five years before passing away in 2017 due to septicaemia, a complication arising from her condition.Insurance Company’s Argument Rejected
The insurer argued that her death was unrelated to the accident, as it occurred years later. However, the court held that her death was directly linked to the injuries she sustained and criticized the insurer for taking a “hyper-technical view” to deny rightful compensation.The court further acknowledged her family’s ₹18 lakh in medical expenses and upheld the tribunal’s view that long-term care costs and physiotherapy were justified.
