BMW case — Victims family accepts Rs 65 lakh

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 9: Relatives of those killed and injured in the BMW hit-and-run case on Thursday accepted a Rs 65 lakh compensation pa...

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 9: Relatives of those killed and injured in the BMW hit-and-run case on Thursday accepted a Rs 65 lakh compensation package offered by the Nanda family and withdrew a suit in the Delhi High Court.

On November 29, the family of former Naval Chief of Staff Admiral S N Nanda offered to pay Rs ten lakh to the legal representatives of each victim who was killed in the accident and Rs five lakh to the grievously injured.

Admiral Nanda’s grandson Sanjeev is accused of killing six people, including three policemen, and injuring one in the January 10 accident case. His counsel R K Anand said the Nanda family was paying the compensation on humanitarian grounds.

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Justice Manmohan Sarin said the compensation must be utilised in a way which ensures good education for children of the victims. He said the entire money will be deposited in fixed deposit accounts and interest amount be disbursed from the UCO bank located within court’s premises.

Justice Sarin directed authorities to apportion the compensation to legal heirs under a pattern in which a widow gets interest money to support herself and pay for children’s education. There will be some free money to meet contingency plans besides financial support to aged parents for arranging higher education and marriages of other family members.

The relatives of accident victims had filed a suit in the court seeking exemplary compensation for the trauma they had suffered after losing an earning member of their family.

However, Justice Sarin said the compensation package will not have any bearing on criminal proceedings underway in the lower court.