Bengaluru: Hen is considered livestock, Karnataka high court ruled in a recent judgment while upholding the compensation awarded over the loss of 2,250 broiler hens in a road accident.The hens were being transported in a truck from Chitradurga district’s Challakere to Tadipatri in Andhra Pradesh on June 19, 2013. At 4am, the speeding vehicle met with an accident, killing 2,000 hens. Over 250 more were taken away by passersby.Reliance General Insurance Company Limited challenged the Rs 4.5-lakh compensation with 7% interest awarded by a tribunal in Ballari, arguing that hens cannot be considered livestock. On the other hand, K Veera Narayan Swamy, proprietor of Balaji Poultry Farm, Ballari, sought higher compensation.Justice Geetha KB noted that though the explanation under the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, on the definition of “cattle” does not include hens, the word “livestock” nevertheless means animals which have life, and hence, the insurer’s argument that hen is not livestock cannot be accepted.The judge added that claimant Veera Narayan Swamy is not the owner of the truck and was only transporting livestock in the vehicle from one place to another. Thus, damage to his property is covered under the insurance policy. The insurance awarded by the tribunal is reasonable, the judge added, while reducing the interest from 7% to 6%.
