RATNAM J.

K. S. NarasimhanThese appeals at the instance of Messrs. United India Insurance Company Ltd. have been preferred against the common award of the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal, Erode, in M. A. C. T. O. P. Nos. 61, 60 and 59 of 1982, respectively, under the following circumstances : On May 19, 1981, at about 8 a.m. on the Erode-Karur Road at a distance of about 15 km. from Erode, one Chellammal was walking along the road and two others, namely, Ganapathi Gounder and Palani Gounder, were proceeding on cycles. At that time, a tourist taxi, bearing registration No. MDG 3133, belonging to one Ramasami was driven rashly and negligently by its driver, Narayanan alias Narayanasami, and an accident took place in which Chellammal sustained grievous injuries and Ganapathi Gounder and Palani Gounder lost their lives. Chellammal (first respondent in C. M. A. No. 100 of 1984 claimed compensation in a sum of Rs. 30, 000. Likewise, the heirs of the deceased, Palani Gounder (respondents Nos. 1 and 2), in C. M. A. No. 99 of 1984 and Ganapathi Gounder (respondents Nos. 1 and 2 in C. M. A. No. 99 of 1984, prayed that compensation should be awarded to them also in an amount of Rs.