HC asks BMTC to pay Rs 35L as compensation to family of girl who died in 2015 scooter- bus collision
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has directed the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to pay the family of an engineering student who died in a bus accident in 2015 Rs 35,53,400 with 6 per cent annual interest as compensation.
The compensation amount exceeds what was awarded initially by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, which directed BMTC to pay the victim’s family Rs 20,46,400.
On November 12, 2015, 20-year-old Mary Sindhu, an Engineering student, was traveling on a scooter as pillion rider when a speeding BMTC bus collided with the two-wheeler near PES College in Konappana Agrahara. While both Mary and Yogesh, who was riding the scooter, sustained injuries in the accident, Mary died at the Sparsh Hospital on November 15 after undergoing four days of treatment.
Mary’s parents Christy Babu and Mary Franchana and her brother CB Denis demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh from the BMTC, stating that Mary, who was studying in her seventh semester of Civil Engineering had been earning Rs 30,000 monthly. As BMTC challenged this, putting forth the argument that both parties were responsible for the accident, the Tribunal directed the Corporation to pay a compensation amount of Rs 15,07,000 with 9 per cent interest on November 28, 2016.
The accident victim’s family filed a plea in the High Court, arguing that the scooty was travelling at moderate speed and the bus driver was at fault for the accident. They also highlighted Sindhu's academic potential and that her future earnings were likely to be Rs 50,000-60,000 a month at a multi-national corporation.
The BMTC defended the bus driver in the High Court too, alleging police collusion with the claimants. The transport corporation also questioned in court the validity of the scooter rider's licence.
The division bench of Justice KS Mudagal and Justice Vijayakumar A Patil, who heard the case, noted from the evidence that the driver of the BMTC bus had reached the accident spot at high speed and a major portion of the bus crossed the scooter and its left side near the rear door hit the two-wheeler, resulting in the accident. The eyewitness, Yogesh Kumar, also deposed that the accident was due to the negligence of the bus driver, the judges added.
Also noting that the deceased girl was about to complete her engineering course and taking into consideration her academic excellence, the bench said that it would be justice to reassess the income of the deceased at Rs 22,000 per month.
An appeal filed by BMTC against the Tribunal's award was rejected by the HC.
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Rare Kalyani Chalukya-era stepwell discovered in Karnataka’s Gadag district
Gadag: A centuries-old stepwell from the Kalyani Chalukya period is discovered into public in Sudi, a remote village in Karnataka’s Gadag district. The Nagakunda Pushkarani, dating to the 10th-11th century CE, is undergoing extensive restoration under the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage’s ‘Adopt a Monument’ scheme.
The stepwell was focal point of community life and craftsmanship under the reign of Akkadevi, sister of Chalukya king Jayasimha II. It shows the dynasty’s mastery of architecture and water management. Its interior walls are carved with the precision of temple façades, setting it apart from most surviving stepwells in southern India, linking it stylistically to examples in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
After centuries of neglect left its sculptures weathered and its waters dry, the site is now being revived by the Deccan Heritage Foundation India in partnership with Heritage Matters, the Gandipet Welfare Society and the Water Literacy Foundation according to a report published by The HIndu. Work includes structural repairs, removal of invasive vegetation, dredging, stone resetting and landscaping, alongside the restoration of an adjacent mantapa with a large Ganesha idol.
Heritage architect B. Sarath Chandra noted, the project is as much about functionality as aesthetics, with water recharge efforts already underway. Funded by Gandipet Welfare Society founder Rajashree Pinnamenni, the restoration is slated for completion by late 2025, followed by a second phase linking the stepwell to the Jodu Kalasadagudi temple through landscaped pathways.
The report mentions that officials say the revival of Nagakunda Pushkarani could not only reintroduce Sudi’s Chalukya heritage to a wider audience but also serve as a model for conserving other lesser-known monuments across Karnataka.
