A bench of Justice Makarand Karnik and Justice Shriram Modak in its February 24 order, a copy of which was made available on Friday, noted that the widow, Sunita Bapu Jagtap, was entitled to compensation.
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The Bombay High Court has directed Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to pay compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the widow of an employee who died due to COVID-19 in April 2021.
A bench of Justice Makarand Karnik and Justice Shriram Modak in its February 24 order, a copy of which was made available on Friday, noted that the widow, Sunita Bapu Jagtap, was entitled to compensation.
Widow’s plea rejected
She had challenged the MSRTC’s decisions of January 2022 and March 2023 rejecting her compensation claim stating deceased Bapu Jagtap “was not assigned essential services and he was not the driver involved in the interstate transport”.
The HC, however, noted that MSRTC had taken a narrow view and “forgot the precarious situation prevailing during COVID when no one was ready to go out of the house to discharge their duties”.
The court added that the deceased may have got the virus while discharging his duty.
The life of the general public came to a standstill and public services, including transport, were kept open for limited services, the HC said.
‘Driver risked his life’
“It was part of the duty of the husband of the petitioner to attend the job, which he had done at the risk of his life,” the bench noted. The MSRTC cannot avoid its responsibility, HC said while directing it to pay R50 lakh as compensation to the petitioner.
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