AMARJEET CHAUDHARY, J. - (1.) THIS judgment of mine will dispose of FAO No. 779 of 1985 and Cross-objections No. 8-CII of 1987 filed therein and F. A. O. No. 858 of 1985 and Cross-objections No. 9-C-II of 1987 filed therein as they have arisen from the common award of the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, Jalandhar dated January 23, 1985.
(2.) FAO No. 779 of 1985 has been filed by Surjit Singh and others while FAO No. 858 of 1985 by Harvinder Kaur in which the prayer is for enhancement of the compensation. In both these appeals, Cross-objections have been filed by Jalandhar Transport Company for setting aside the impugned award. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (hereinafter referred to as the Tribunal) on a claim petition filed by Surjit Singh and others under Section 110-A of the Motor Vehicles Act, had awarded a sum of Rs. 96,000/- as compensation on account of the death of Jaswinder Singh who died in a vehicular accident on 25. 1. 1983. Out of this compensation Surjit Singh father and Joginder Kaur mother of the deceased were to be awarded Rs. 8,000/- each while Har-vinder Kaur window of the deceased was awarded Rs. 50,000/- and Rs. 30,000/-were awarded to the minor children. In a separate claim petition filed by Harvinder Kaur, the Tribunal had awarded a sum of Rs. 27,000/- as compensation for the injuries suffered by her in the said accident. The compensation above-mentioned was awarded alongwith 6% interest from the date of the sward. The liability to pay compensation was fastened on respondents No. 1 to 3 and respondent No. 3 was to indemnify the claimants to the extent of Rs. 50,000/ -. in both the claim petitioners while the rest of the compensation was to be paid by respondents No. 1 and 2 individually and collectively.
(3.) IN the appeal filed by Surjit Singh etc. the challenge to the award is that the Tribunal had erred in reading the Income Tax Return of the deceased. As such, the income of the deceased was wrongly determined. It was argued by the learned Counsel for the appellants that the deceased was 32 years of age at the time of his death and a multiplier of 25 instead of 16 should have been applied.;