Duty of Traffic Supervision at Bus Depot is Frontline Duty under COVID-19 – Bombay HC Holds MSRTC Employee entitled to Ex-gratia Compensation
The deceased – employee of MSRTC was deputed at BEST Bus depot Wadala for supervising the traffic vide letter dated 23.3.2021. The deceased joined the duty on 24.3.2021 and worked till 28.3.2021.
On 5.4.2021, he was diagnosed as COVID positive and died on 7.4.2021.
The claim of wife for compensation of Rs.50 lakhs for the death of her husband who was deputed at Wadala Depot of BEST was rejected on the ground that he was not assigned essential services and he was not driver in the interstate transport.
Even if the deceased was deputed to control the traffic, it does not mean that he was supposed to do the work by sitting in the Office. In discharge of his duty, the deceased was supposed to interact and came in contact with the drivers and conductors who were actually involved in driving the buses thereby exposing him to the same risk as the drivers and conductors.
Judgment dated 24.2.2026 of the High Court of Bombay in Writ Petition No.5699 of 2024 of Smt. Sunita Bapu Jagtap Vs. The Chairman, MSRTC and others
