The family of a person killed in a road accident caused by a stray dog at Palakkad district in Kerala has been given a compensation of Rs 18 lakh.
The Ottappalam municipality, about 35 kilometres from Palakkad town, granted the compensation, as per the recommendation of a Supreme Court appointed committee, to the family of Saidalavi, who died nine years ago. His wife Fathima will receive the compensation.
The Justice Siri Jagan committee appointed by the Supreme Court to study the stray dog menace and recommend compensations has ordered the compensation. Justice Jagan told DH that compensations were fixed considering factors like the nature of injuries and the loss being suffered by the injured and his dependents. Even much higher amounts of Rs. 20 lakh and more were awarded in some other cases earlier.
Saidalavi who was into textile business suffered the fatal accident in 2011 February at Ottapalam after his vehicle collided with a stray dog. The vehicle insurance firm denied due compensation citing that no other vehicle was involved in the accident. Hence, the family approached the committee and got an order in their favour.
The municipality authorities said that the municipality decided to implement the order, even as there was option to challenge it.