Vadodara: Twenty-four years after the death of their son in a road accident, a Tarsali family got justice from the motor accident claims tribunal in Vadodara. The victim’s father also passed away before he could hear the judgement of the case he had filed.Tragedy struck the family in December 1993, when their 17-year-old son, Jaykumar Lalwani, was killed in an accident involving a state transport (ST) bus in Fatehgunj. The Rs 3 lakh the tribunal recently awarded them comes as meagre consolation.Lalwani, who was studying at Sanskar Bharti Vidyalaya in Fatehgunj, went out with his friends to have snacks during recess on December 4, 1993. When Lalwani was eating, an ST bus driver, Ahmed Patel, carelessly reversed his vehicle, knocking the boy down.Lalwani, the only son of his parents, was rushed to a private hospital. The doctors there referred him to SSG Hospital, where Lalwani succumbed to his injuries.In February 1994, Lalwani’s father, Govindram, filed a case before the tribunal under the Motor Vehicles Act, seeking compensation of Rs 2 lakh from Gujarat State Road Transportation Corporation (GSRTC) and Patel. While the lawyer representing the bus driver and GSRTC rejected Govindram’s allegations, the owner of the food cart where Lalwani was eating testified and stated the registration number of the bus involved.After the hearing the case for more than two decades, the tribunal upheld the evidence and testimonies against Patel and GSRTC. The tribunal observed that the ST bus is a heavy vehicle and if the driver had driven carefully near the school, the accident could have been avoided.The tribunal ordered Patel and GSRTC to pay compensation, along with 9% interest to be calculated from the time the case was filed, to Lalwani’s elderly mother and sister.“The court awarded compensation according to principles set by the Supreme Court in similar cases,” said Tushar Vyas, who represented the Lalwani family.Money brings some hopeThe Lalwani family used to make a living selling plastic items at Mangal Bazaar. They had high hopes for their son, Jaykumar Lalwani, who was a topper at school.“He was very good at studies and was ambitious. We hoped that after his education he would get a good job and make a name for the family. Our dreams were shattered on the day of that accident,” said Lalwani’s uncle, Ashok. He added that his brother, Govindram, initially did not want to move court, but filed the case on his insistence. Govindram died three years ago.The family, which now consists of Lalwani’s uncle and mother, hope that the compensation will help them to improve their economic condition. Lalwani’s sister is married. Ashok says he still sells plastic items in Makarpura.

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