SANJU DEVI & ANR vs UNION OF INDIA

Judgment text excerpt

* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Reserved on : 16.01.2026 Pronounced on : 17.01.2026 Uploaded on : 17.01.2026 + FAO 367/2014 SANJU DEVI & ANR .....Appellants Through: Mr. Yogesh Swaroop & Ms. Shivangi Singh, Advocates. versus UNION OF INDIA .....Respondent Through: Mr. Shoumendu Mukherji, SPC with Mr. Aniruddha Ghosh & Ms. Surabhi Tuli, Advocates for UOI. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MANOJ KUMAR OHRI JUDGMENT 1. The present appeal has been instituted against the judgment dated 30.05.2014 passed by the Railway Claims Tribunal, Principal Bench, Delhi (hereinafter referred to as the “Tribunal”) in Claim Application No. OA(IIu) 127/2013. 2. Vide the aforesaid judgment, the Tribunal rejected the appellants’ claim seeking compensation for the death of late Satyanarayan Yadav (husband of appellant no. 1 and father of appellant nos. 2 & 3), concluding that his death had occurred due to a “self-inflicted injury” and “criminal negligence”. 3. Learned counsel for the appellants has contended that the Tribunal erred by deciding the core issue against the appellants as once the deceased was accepted to be a bona fide passenger, the incident of him falling from Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed By:NIJAMUDDEEN ANSARI FAO 367/2014 Pg. 1 of 4 Signing Date:17.01.2026 17:59:59 the running train must be classified as an “untoward incident,” attracting strict liability under the relevant provisions. 4. Learned counsel for the respondent, on the other hand, while relying upon the Departmental Enquiry report, submits that the deceased jumped out of the fast moving train, thereby causing self-inflicted injuries, and it is not a case of an accidental fall but an act of criminal negligence, in light of which the appellants are not entitled to any compensation. 5. At the outset, it