New Delhi: In a rare and compassionate move, the Supreme Court has gone beyond its usual mandate to ensure that a tragedy-struck widow finally receives compensation from the Railways—more than two decades after her husband died in a train accident.
The case dates back to March 21, 2002, when Vijay Singh, who had a valid ticket from Bakhtiyarpur to Patna on the Bhagalpur-Danapur Intercity Express, accidentally fell from the running train at the originating station due to overcrowding. He died on the spot, leaving behind his wife Saynokta Devi.
However, Devi’s pursuit of justice turned into a 20-year legal ordeal. Her claim for compensation was initially rejected by both the Railway Claims Tribunal and the Patna High Court, which bizarrely reasoned that the deceased was of “unsound mind.”
Unwilling to give up, Devi approached the Supreme Court through her lawyer, Fauzia Shakil. In February 2023, a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant dismissed the earlier rulings, calling them “absurd” and “contrary to undisputed facts.” The court observed that a person of unsound mind could neither purchase a valid ticket nor attempt to board a train independently.
The apex court ordered the Railways to pay ₹4 lakh in compensation with 6% annual interest from the date of the original claim, within two months. But fate had another twist—Devi’s local counsel passed away before he could inform her about the ruling.
Meanwhile, the Railways attempted to trace her, sending multiple letters, but all went unanswered due to an incorrect address. Eventually, the Railways approached the Supreme Court again, citing its inability to locate her despite sanctioning the compensation.
In response, the Supreme Court directed a full-scale search to ensure Devi received what was rightfully hers. The bench—comprising Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and N. Kotiswar Singh—instructed the Eastern Railway’s Principal Chief Commercial Manager (Kolkata) to issue a public notice in widely circulated English and Hindi newspapers.
It also ordered the SSP of Nalanda and SHO of Bakhtiyarpur police station to physically verify Devi’s whereabouts and assist in handing over the compensation. The Bihar State Legal Services Authority and the District Legal Services Authority were tasked with visiting her last known address and submitting a report within four weeks.
Following intense efforts, Additional Solicitor General Brijender Chahar informed the court that Devi had been successfully located after discovering that her village name had been incorrectly recorded. Local police confirmed her identity and traced her family.
The court has now ordered the Railways to disburse the compensation in her presence, with the local SHO and panchayat officials ensuring proper identification and safe deposit of the funds into her bank account. The sarpanch and elected members of the gram panchayat will verify her identity before submission of a compliance report to the apex court.
The bench has scheduled the next hearing for November 24, marking the likely conclusion of a 23-year-long struggle that began with tragedy but is finally approaching justice.
