Mumbai News: 11-year-old loses mother in road accident, gets ₹1.1 crore in insurance compensation

An 11-year-old girl, Ritika Ashokan, has been awarded ₹1.1 crore in compensation by a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal. This decision comes after her mother died in an accident in Mazgaon in 2015 when their scooter was hit by a trailer, The Times of India reported.

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Ritika's father and grandfather, who initially filed the claim, passed away while the case was still active, TOI reported. Mazgaon is one of the seven islands that formed the original city of Mumbai.

Seeta Ashokan, the child's mother, was a 37-year-old school and tuition teacher who made ₹60,000 a month when she died, the publication added. The tribunal noted that these details were important in deciding the amount of compensation.

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On May 11, 2015, Seeta Ashokan and her husband were riding on a scooter when a speeding trailer hit them from behind. The trailer owner, Vidyadhar Mishra, and the insurance company, Reliance General Insurance, must now pay the compensation.

The tribunal decided after hearing that the child, who now lives with her elderly grandmother and has no income, needs money for school and daily expenses. The child's lawyer asked for compensation for her for these needs instead of putting it all in a savings account, as per TOI.

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"Considering the age of the deceased when she died in the accident, a long span of service was due to be enjoyed by her and there is likelihood of having great increase in her salary. But, due to accident, she lost her life and lost her chance to live a better life," TOI quoted the tribunal as saying.

What will happen to the money?

Most of the money will be put in a fixed deposit until the child turns 21, and she can use the interest every three months. About ₹5.50 lakh, including interest since 2015, will be given to her grandmother to help raise her and care for her needs, TOI added.