MACT Tribunal orders Rs 1.15 crore compensation for nine-year-old Drishana in hit-and-run case

VADAKARA: The MACT Tribunal has awarded Rs 1.15 crore in compensation to Drishana, the 9-year-old girl who remains in critical condition after a car accident on the national highway that also claimed her grandmother’s life. The tribunal considered the case after the High Court instructed that it be resolved promptly.

The National Insurance Company must pay the compensation amount. The tribunal directed that the money be deposited into the child’s bank account. Out of this, Rs 25 lakh can be withdrawn immediately for her medical treatment. The remaining amount can be used only according to the court’s directions. The money granted earlier under the hit-and-run relief scheme—Rs 50,000—will be deducted from this total.

The accident happened at around 10 p.m. on February 17, 2024, when a speeding car hit Drishana (9) and her grandmother Baby (68) near the Chorode overbridge in Vadakara. Baby died on the spot. Drishana, a class five student at Mundayat LP School, suffered severe injuries and remains in a coma under treatment at Kozhikode Medical College. The Human Rights Commission had taken suo motu action against the police for failing to trace the vehicle initially.

After a year-long crime branch investigation, the car involved in the crash was found. The accused, who had fled abroad after the incident, was arrested at Coimbatore Airport upon his return. A case was registered against him for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and he was later granted bail. Advocate Fausiya V.K. appeared for Drishana. Officials of the National Insurance Company showed a sympathetic approach during the proceedings.