In a brief but emotionally charged hearing on Tuesday, the Supreme Court set aside a Madhya Pradesh High Court order that had denied compensation to the parents of a 23-year-old man who died in a railway accident. The bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice N.V. Anjaria made it clear that boarding a wrong train cannot, by itself, strip a passenger of legal protection.
Background
The case goes back to 29 May 2013, when Shravan Kumar Gupta, a young man from Maihar, died after suffering injuries in what officials recorded as a railway accident. His parents filed a claim under the Railway Claims Tribunal Act, seeking statutory compensation.
The Railways, however, resisted strongly. They argued that Shravan had purchased a ticket from Satna to Maihar but boarded the Godan Express, which didn’t halt at Maihar. According to the Railways, he tried to jump off the running train to reach his destination-an act they labelled as “self-inflicted injury.”
The Tribunal members differed, eventually leading to a majority opinion in favour of the parents. But the High Court reversed that ruling, forcing the grieving parents to even return ₹4 lakh already paid to them.
Court’s Observations
During the hearing, the courtroom felt unusually tense as both sides repeated arguments that had stretched across a decade.
The bench was not convinced by the Railways’ theory of “jumping out of the train.” At one point, Justice Kumar remarked, “No sane person would attempt to alight from a running express train. A plea like this must have clear proof.”
The judges also noted that the Divisional Railway Manager’s report confirmed a valid ticket, and there was no evidence that the deceased intentionally endangered himself.
In a telling line, the bench observed, “Merely boarding a wrong train cannot make a passenger ‘not bona fide’. People make mistakes, especially when trains arrive on the same platform.”
This struck a chord with many attending the hearing-after all, such mix-ups are a common Indian experience.
Decision
The Supreme Court restored the Tribunal’s original award, directing the Railways to pay ₹8 lakh compensation with 9% interest to the parents within three months.
The bench concluded firmly that the High Court’s contrary view “would not stand the test of law.”
The article ends at the Court’s order.
Case Title: Shrikumar Gupta & Anr. vs Union of India – Supreme Court Restores Railway Accident Compensation
Court: Supreme Court of India
Judges: Justice Aravind Kumar & Justice N.V. Anjaria
Date of Judgment: 4 November 2025
