Aadhaar not conclusive proof of age in accident claims: Chhattisgarh HC

Raipur ( The Indian View Team) : The Chhattisgarh high court has ruled that the age mentioned in an Aadhaar card cannot be treated as conclusive proof while deciding compensation in motor accident claims, holding that tribunals must determine a claimant’s age on the basis of the overall evidence on record rather than relying solely on the Aadhaar entry.

In a common judgment delivered on recently in three connected motor accident compensation appeals, Justice Sachin Singh Rajput relied on a recent Supreme Court ruling to correct the age assessment made by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), which had treated an injured claimant as 68 years old solely on the basis of his Aadhaar card.

The HC noted that the claimant had consistently stated that he was about 58 years old at the time of the accident, while his disability certificate and treatment records recorded his age as around 60 years. In these circumstances, the court held that the tribunal’s exclusive reliance on the Aadhaar card was legally unsustainable.

The finding of the learnt Claims Tribunal as 68 years on the basis of Aadhaar Card does not appear to be correct in light of the judgement of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Saroj and others v. Iffco Tokio General Insurance Co. and others (2024),” the high court observed while holding that the claimant’s age should be treated as falling in the 61-65 years bracket.

The observations came while deciding appeals arising from a road accident in Mahasamund district on April 19, 2019, in which two motorcycle riders died and another suffered grievous injuries that resulted in an above-knee amputation.

After reassessing the claimant’s age, monthly income and functional disability, the HC substantially enhanced the compensation awarded to the injured carpenter. It increased his monthly income from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000, assessed his functional disability at 60% instead of 35%, and enhanced the total compensation from Rs 96,400 to Rs 3,90,800. The court also awarded an additional Rs 2,94,400 with 6% annual interest from the date of filing of the appeal.

The judgment underscores that while an Aadhaar card is a relevant document, it is not by itself decisive proof of age in compensation proceedings. Courts and tribunals must consider all available documentary evidence, including medical records and disability certificates, to arrive at a fair determination of a claimant’s age before computing compensation.