MANARAJIYA & ORS vs UNION OF INDIA

Judgment text excerpt

* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Reserved on : 19.01.2026 Pronounced on : 21.01.2026 Uploaded on : 21.01.2026 + FAO 324/2019 MANARAJIYA & ORS .....Appellants Through: Mr. Rajan Sood, Ms. Ashima Sood & Ms. Megha Sood, Advocates. versus UNION OF INDIA .....Respondent Through: Mr. Mukul Singh (CGSC) with Ms. Ira Singh, Mr. Aryan Dhaka, and Ms. Nandini Aggarwal, Advocates. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MANOJ KUMAR OHRI JUDGMENT 1. The present appeal has been preferred against the judgment dated 05.06.2017 passed by the Railways Claims Tribunal, Principal Bench, Delhi in Case No. OA (IIu) 80/2016. 2. Vide the aforesaid judgment, the Tribunal dismissed the claim application filed by the appellants. The claim application came to be filed seeking death compensation in the context of a train accident statedly suffered by Sh. Ram Gopal Paw (hereinafter “deceased”) on 08.05.2015. It was claimed that the deceased undertook the train journey from Delhi to Bhiwani by Kalindi Express Train after purchasing a valid journey ticket, which somehow was lost at the time of the incident. It was further claimed Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed By:NIJAMUDDEEN ANSARI FAO 324/2019 Page 1 of 4 Signing Date:21.01.2026 19:51:47 that on account of a sudden jerk and push by the passengers from inside the compartment, the deceased accidentally fell down from running train at Old Delhi Railway Station itself and died on the spot. 3. Learned counsel for the appellant contended that though the Tribunal held the incident to be an “untoward incident”; it dismissed the claim by observing that the deceased was not a bona fide passenger, as no journey ticket was found on his person. 4. Learned counsel for the respondent, on the other hand, has defended the impugned judgment. 5. The two primary