MANOJ KUMAR OHRI
Islam Khan (Since Died) Through Legal Heirs – Appellant
Versus
Union of India – Respondent
JUDGMENT :
MANOJ KUMAR OHRI, J.
1. By way of present appeal filed under Section 23 of the Railway Claims Tribunal Act, 1987 (hereinafter, referred to as ‘the Act’), the appellants/claimants have assailed the order dated 19.11.2019 passed by the Railway Claims Tribunal, Principal Bench, Delhi whereby the claim application filed on their behalf was dismissed.
2. Learned counsel for the appellants contended that merely because the journey ticket was not recovered, the Tribunal erred in arriving at a conclusion that the deceased was not a bona fide passenger and held the incident not to be an ‘untoward incident’ as defined under Section 123(c) of the Railways Act, 1989.
3. The impugned order is supported by the respondent. Learned counsel appearing for the respondent submitted that not only the journey ticket was not recovered from the deceased but also even as per the statement of the guard of the train, the deceased had fallen from the train while attempting to board the running train. It was contended that the injuries sustained by the deceased were ‘self-inflicted injuries’ and fall under the proviso to Section 124A of the Railways Act, 1989.
4. I have heard learned counsels for the par
The initial burden of proving that the deceased was a bona fide passenger could be discharged by filing an affidavit of the relevant facts, as per the legal principle established in Union of India v.....
The burden of proof for claiming compensation in cases where no journey ticket is recovered lies with the claimant, who must discharge the initial burden by filing an affidavit of relevant facts.
The absence of a train journey ticket does not disqualify a claim for compensation if sufficient evidence shows the deceased was a bona fide passenger.
The recovery of the journey ticket on the same date established the deceased as a bona fide passenger, and the accident qualified as an 'untoward incident' under the Railways Act.
Claimants must prove bona fide passenger status by disclosing ticket purchase details; absence of ticket does not alone invalidate the claim.
The interpretation of 'bona fide passenger' and 'untoward incident' under the Railways Act, and the burden of proof on claimants in establishing their claim for compensation.
The claimant must prove the purchase of a valid journey ticket for compensation claims under railway incidents, particularly when the ticket is lost.
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