₹22.4 Lakh Compensation for Family of Peon Killed by Accidental Gunfire

New Delhi: A court has ordered a payment of over ₹22.4 lakh to the family of an IDBI bank peon who tragically died from a gunshot wound caused by a security guard in 2008. The court decided that the guard, the bank, and the security company all shared the blame for this unfortunate event.

The judge, Naresh Kumar Laka, was looking at a complaint made by the family of Chander Dev, who was 49 years old when he was accidentally shot on February 18, 2008. The family said the guard was not careful when he handled his gun, and that led to the accident.

In the ruling dated March 24, the court stated, “It is alleged that the guard, provided by the security company, did not properly check the gun, which is why all three — the bank, the guard, and the security agency — are responsible for paying ₹20 lakh plus interest.”

The guard’s defense claimed that he didn’t do anything wrong and that the gun fired accidentally when he was trying to unload it. However, the court noted, “A gun can’t shoot by itself; the guard was careless. As a gunman, he should have been more careful with his weapon.”

The court pointed out that the security company provided the guard to the bank, making all three parties responsible for the accident. It said they must pay the family one-third of the total compensation each.

After calculating damages under different categories, the total amount came to over ₹22.4 lakh with a nine percent interest rate, and the court ordered that this payment be made within 30 days.