Mafia ruling in accident claims in Cuddalore: Report

Justice K Chandru (retd), in his third interim report on pointing that it confines to three lawyers practicing at Cuddalore who have substantial cases with them relating to motor accident claims, said, “A reply sent from a Judicial Officer from Cuddalore will clearly show that something is rotten in Cuddalore district in respect of motor accident claims.”

The submissions made by Judicial Officer to expert body are as follows: “Here, the counsels are filing claim petition along with permanent address proof of their native village (out of Cuddalore) but presenting the application with false temporary address without any proof along with an affidavit stating that the petitioner is willing to file the application in Cuddalore.”

“Signatures of the claimant has been obtained by counsels or advocate clerks or touts directly from him/her or through close relatives or local politician at the place of occurrence or hospital or house, in case of death, even during funeral ceremonies or burial grounds.”

“Particularly, 108 van driver or staff, police, advocate clerks, local politicians, trade union leaders, representatives ofassociation are informers or brokers of the said counsels, who are investing money in this field.”

“They are used to giving advance money also to the claimant while obtaining signatures in vakalath and after disposal they are adjusting the said advance along with huge interest, apart from the huge amount of fees in percentage basis from 20 to 75 per cent depending upon the nature of claim or false claim or put up case.”

“Few counsels own several ambulances, tractor, lorry, van, car, two wheelers in benami names and using the same for false claims with the help of police. They are also converting other accidental injuries like slipping in bath room and falling from tree into motor accident claims.”

“When police are also supporting their false claim by lodging FIRs, the tribunals cannot find the truth or give verdict against the records concocted by the police.”

Also, stating that the counsels engaged by insurance companies also do not file replies raising objections regards jurisdiction, Justice Chandru said, “The insurance company counsels and Transport Corporation counsels never take a stand or plea that this claims tribunal has no territorialjurisdiction. They are also sailing with the claimant’s counsels and they do not want to lose the present brief and future brief by raising jurisdiction issue.”

The report on noting that whenever the jurisdiction issue has been raised by the tribunal, the entire bar would join and start agitating against the Judicial Officer, has sought both criminal and disciplinary action against three lawyers — M Sivamani, M Azhakiyakumaran and Ramaa Radhakrishnan.