Thane: The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Maharashtra’s Thane district awarded compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of a lady tutor killed in a motorcycle accident 23 years ago.The victim, Serena Pereira, was riding pillion on a motorcycle on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway at Kashimira on Sept 18, 2003, when a speeding truck collided with her two-wheeler, causing Serena to fall and come under the wheels of the heavy vehicle, killing her on the spot.Pereira was aged 24 at the time of the mishap and worked as a tutor, earning Rs 3,300 per month.The petition was filed by the mother and sister of the deceased in 2020. They also alleged the involvement of a Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) bus, claiming that the ill-fated motorcycle got stuck between the truck and the bus.Judge K P Shrikhande passed the order in connection with the accident that occurred in 2003, holding the owners of the truck and motorcycle involved liable and directing them to pay the compensation with 9% interest per annum, effective from March 2024.The Tribunal, however, dismissed the claim against the transport authority, stating that it was contrary to the police reports.
