MACT awards Rs 1.56 crore compensation to kin of 26-year-old woman killed in Noida road accident in 2023
The MACT further observed that "once it has been established in the chargesheet that the accident had taken place, the burden shifts on the respondents to prove that they were not responsible for the accident which the respondents have failed to discharge."
The case stems from an accident which occured on the evening of October 20, 2023, when Sethi was returning home on a motorcycle with her colleague, Aditya Sharma.
A Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Delhi has recently awarded Rs 1.56 crore in compensation to the family of a 26-year-old woman who was killed in a road accident in Noida in October 2023.
Presiding Officer Pooja Aggarwal of the MACT was hearing a plea filed by the mother and sister of the deceased, Srishti Sethi, against the driver, owner, and insurer of the car involved in the accident.
The case stems from an accident which occured on the evening of October 20, 2023, when Sethi was returning home on a motorcycle with her colleague, Aditya Sharma. As their vehicle reached Sector 62 in Noida, a speeding car struck two other vehicles before crashing into their motorcycle from behind. On January 2, 2024, Sethi died of wounds from the accident.
Noting that the circumstances clearly pointed to negligence, the MACT said in its order dated April 7, “…act of hitting the vehicle of the deceased from behind by the vehicle….is itself indicative of rash and negligent driving…. It is a settled proposition of law, that the Petitioners cannot be expected to prove the accident beyond reasonable doubts and the principle of res ipsa loquitor i.e. ‘accident speaks for itself’ is applicable.”
The MACT further observed that “once it has been established in the chargesheet that the accident had taken place, the burden shifts on the respondents to prove that they were not responsible for the accident which the respondents have failed to discharge.”
The driver, in his defence, claimed that his car had been struck by another vehicle and lost balance due to a tyre burst. The tribunal, however, rejected this claim, observing that “except self-serving oral testimony, the respondent did not lead any evidence to prove the involvement of any other vehicle, nor is the existence of such a vehicle mentioned in the chargesheet.”
While a doctor had testified that the accident was not the “direct cause” of death, the tribunal held that it was the “antecedent cause” leading to complications and Sethi’s eventual death.
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“… though she may have been discharged in stable condition as per the discharge summaries on record, no evidence has been brought on record by the respondents (driver and owner of the offending vehicle) to disbelieve that she remained under treatment as a result of injuries sustained by her in the accident, eventually leading to her death due to post-operative complications like septic shock,” said Presiding Officer Aggarwal in her order.
To determine the compensation amount, the Tribunal took into account several factors, including loss of dependency, medical expenses, and loss of consortium.
Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023.
Professional Background
Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University.
Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories.
Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts.
Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials.
Recent notable articles
In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories.
1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey.
2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation.
3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police.
Signature Style
Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public.
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