Pillion rider's death are not entitled to third party insurance claims- SC

The Supreme Court has ruled that relatives of a pillion rider or other gratuitous passengers in a vehicle involved in road accidents are not entitled to third party insurance claims.

In this case, the victim Ramulu was riding pillion in a scooter belonging to Yadi Reddy in Hyderabad city on October 8, 1996. The vehicle at that time was being driven by Mohd Yasin.

Ramulu's widow, son and father filed a claim petition for compensation of Rs three lakh, but the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal rejected the plea on the reasoning that the pillion rider's claimants were not entitled to any claim as the insurance policy only covered third parties.

However, the Andhra Pradesh High Court on an appeal took a contrary view and directed the United Insurance Company to pay the compensation following which the insurer filed an appeal in the apex court.

Upholding the insurance company's appeal, the apex court citing its earlier ruling in the Asha Rani and a number of other cases said a pillion rider or other gratuitous passengers traveling in a goods vehicle are not covered under third party insurance claims.

As such the claimants in the present case are not entitled to compensation, the apex court bench of Arijit Pasayat and Mukundakam Sharma observed.

Health identity card, insurance for women

Health identity cards will be given to members of all Stree Sakthi Sanghas in Hebbal by January 31 next year, according to IT-BT minister Katta Subramanya Naidu.

He asked women to take charge of responsible posts in organizations so that they can bring change in society. "Chinese women have brought rapid development in their country. Every Chinese woman is a productive member of their society. Our Stree Sakthi groups have the potential to bring a similar change in India," he explained.

The Minister called upon the stree sakthi groups to take up small and medium enterprises to generate income to build the sanghas and generate small income to support their families. Stree Sakhti groups should work towards building small enterprises from their micro-credit units to fund themselves instead of always looking for loans from external sources if they have to become successful.

Several small scale industries owners such as packaging, photoframes,stationary who were present at the conference spoke and expressed their willingness to train women, provide raw material and buy back end product from them.

He furtehr added that in Hebbal Assembly constituency, Rs 50 crore was earmarked for road development and road widening and over 45 borewells had been dug over the last four months.

Munirathnam Naidu, Assistant Commissioner of Police of the area, announced that women from the sanghas would be taken as Community Police (at the rate of 5 women for every police station in the area) and would assist the police in their activities in the area.