Nisha vs. Municipal Council Sangrur & Ors.

In September 2007, Vijay Kumar was fatally injured by a stray bull on a road in Sangrur, Punjab. His widow, Nisha, fought a long legal battle for compensation. A Single Judge of the High Court awarded her Rs 29.32 lakh using Motor Vehicle Act rules. However, a larger bench of the High Court canceled this, stating that she must file a regular lawsuit in a civil court because the case involved 'disputed facts'. The Supreme Court overturned this decision. It held that sending a grieving family to a lower civil court after nearly 19 years of legal struggle would leave them completely helpless and without a remedy. The Court pointed out that local authorities never actually denied the accident itself, meaning there were no real 'disputed facts'. Given the long delay, the Supreme Court ordered the Municipal Council of Sangrur to pay a lump sum of Rs 15 lakh to the widow within four weeks. Crucially, the Court also issued guidelines to state governments to tackle the growing danger of stray animals on roads, recommending mandatory electronic ear-tagging (like 'Pashu Aadhaar'), proper animal shelters, and holding animal owners strictly responsible if they abandon their cattle on public streets.

In 2007, a man named Vijay Kumar was hit by a stray bull on the road and suffered fatal head injuries. His wife filed a case in the High Court for compensation, but after years of waiting, the High Court asked her to start over by filing a lawsuit in a lower civil court.

The Supreme Court set aside the High Court's order and awarded a lump sum compensation of Rs 15 lakh to the widow. The Court ruled that forcing the family to file a new civil lawsuit after 19 years of waiting would be extremely unjust.

This judgment ensures that local government bodies cannot escape their duty to keep roads safe from stray animals. It protects common citizens from being dragged into endless court battles for compensation when they are injured due to municipal negligence.