Two brothers, who lost their parents and other relatives in a road mishap, involving a tanker, in Uttar Pradesh 12 years ago, have been awarded a compensation of Rs 2.22 crore by a Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT). The tribunal held the Anoop Kumar Mendiratta directed Oriental Insurance Company Ltd, with which the offending tanker was insured, to pay Rs 2,21,63,491 along with driver of the tanker responsible for the accident at Muzaffarnagar, leading to death of five persons, including the proprietor of Delhi-based Ms Tomar Construction Company , Satyavir Singh Tomar, father of Sandeep and Sumit. The tribunal, while awarding compensation to the deceased man's two sons, noted that one of them was forced to settle back in India instead of continuing further education or temporary job in Australia.

“It is implicit that at the tender age of 18 and 21 years the petitioners (sons) hardly had any experience to continue the business of contractorship carried by the deceased (father) which requires experience, expertise and contacts to carry on the projects,“ it said.

The accident took place on December 30, 2004 when Sandeep was travelling along with his father Satyabir, mother, sister and grandmother to Shamli from Muzaffarnagar in a Toyota Qualis. At 9pm, the car was hit by a tanker coming from the opposite side at Panipat Khatima Road, the plea said, adding that all the occupants of the Qualis suffered injuries.

While Sandeep had received grievous injuries, his mother, sister, grandmother and the driver died on the spot and his father succumbed to injuries in the hospital. The tribunal granted this compensation on the petition relating to death of their father as the pleas in relation to other deceased have already been decided earlier.