Recovery of a railway ticket and absence of contrary evidence establish an untoward passenger death.

The appellants, parents of Pardeep Kumar, challenged the Railway Claims Tribunal’s order dated 14.03.2014 dismissing their claim for compensation under Section 16 of the Railway Claims Tribunal Act, 1987, arising from their son’s death.

The deceased had travelled from Sirhind to Jagadhri on 22.09.2011. A journey ticket bearing No. 57174711, dated 22.09.2011, for that route was recovered from his person during the GRP’s proceedings.

His dead body was found the next morning near the railway track between Jagadhri Workshop and Jagadhri.

The Railway contended that the deceased had completed his journey and was subsequently struck by a train while crossing the track, amounting to a self-inflicted injury or criminal act.

The Tribunal accepted this theory, relying principally on the date of the ticket, the absence of an eyewitness, and certain alleged contradictions in the parents’ evidence.

The Court applied Sections 123(c)(2) and 124-A of the Railways Act, 1989, under which an accidental fall from a train constitutes an “untoward incident” attracting statutory compensation, subject to the prescribed exceptions, including suicide, self-inflicted injury, and a criminal act.

The Court held that the claimant’s status as a bona fide passenger may be established through the surrounding circumstances and recovery of a valid journey ticket; the absence of an eyewitness is not, by itself, fatal to the claim.

Relying on Jameela v. Union of India, (2010) 12 SCC 443, the Court reiterated that passenger negligence in falling from a running train does not, by itself, defeat a claim under Section 124-A, and negligence cannot be equated with the “criminal act” contemplated by the statutory proviso.

On quantum, the Court applied Rina Devi and Radha Yadav v. Union of India, (2019) 3 SCC 410, holding that the compensation applicable on the date of the accident, with reasonable interest, must be compared with the compensation prescribed on the date of the award, and the higher amount should be granted.

The recovery of the journey ticket from the deceased’s person, coupled with the Railway’s own evidence, established on a preponderance of probabilities that he was a bona fide passenger.

The Railway failed to prove its alternative theory that he had deliberately entered upon or crossed the track.

The keyman’s evidence indicated that a person could fall from a passing train at the location where the body was found, while the RPF message, the prima facie injury assessment, and the gangman’s statement supported death due to a fall from a train.

The Railway’s evidence regarding the precise location and circumstances of the incident was materially inconsistent, and the Tribunal’s finding of a self-inflicted injury was therefore based on conjecture.

Applying Jameela, the Court held that even if the deceased had been negligent, such negligence would not amount to the statutory exclusion of a criminal act.

The parents’ consistent assertion of their relationship and their participation in identifying the body outweighed the evidentiary significance of the deceased’s name not appearing in the ration card.

For quantum, the Court compared the pre-existing compensation of Rs.4,00,000, with interest, against the later prescribed amount of Rs.8,00,000 and directed payment of whichever was higher.

The Court held that Pardeep Kumar was a bona fide passenger and that his death resulted from an untoward incident under Sections 123(c)(2) and 124-A of the Railways Act, 1989.

The appellants were awarded Rs.4,00,000 with interest at 9% per annum from the date of filing of the claim application until realization, or Rs.8,00,000, whichever was higher.

The Railway was directed to deposit the amount with the Tribunal within three months of receiving the certified copy of the judgment.

In case of default, interest at 12% per annum would apply from expiry of the three-month period until actual realization.

Pending miscellaneous applications, if any, were disposed of.