Indian courts order compensation in tree accident and gender discrimination cases

The Karnataka High Court has ordered a compensation of ₹2.77 crore, plus 6% annual interest, to Sandan G, a 38-year-old man who suffered 85% disability after a tree branch fell on him. The incident occurred on March 7, 2024, on Richmond Road in Bengaluru. The branch belonged to a Gulmohar tree on the Good Shepherd Convent School premises. Reports indicate the school had requested the municipal corporation to prune the branches 25 days prior to the accident, but no action was taken.

In a separate legal development, the Supreme Court of India has ordered Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to pay ₹12 lakh in compensation to Sumitra following a 35-year legal battle regarding gender discrimination. Sumitra was recommended for a position at a gas filling station in Haryana in 1998, but IOC refused her employment based on her gender. The Supreme Court criticized the public sector undertaking, noting that women regularly handle gas cylinders in their homes, and ruled that denying employment based on gender is an insult to women.