Jharkhand High Court Raises Compensation for Journalist Bhanu Pratap Singh to Rs 14.10 Lakh
Ranchi, August 26, 2026: In a case related to a road accident nearly 31 years ago, the Jharkhand High Court has delivered a significant verdict in favour of Dumka journalist Bhanu Pratap Singh. A bench headed by Chief Justice M.S. Sonak increased the compensation awarded by the tribunal to Rs 14.10 lakh.
The court also directed that the compensation amount will carry interest at the rate of 6 percent per annum from the date of filing of the claim petition, Title Claim Case No. 37/1995, until the actual payment is made.
The case dates back to 1995. At the time of the accident, 28-year-old Bhanu Pratap Singh was working as a press correspondent and had also cleared the Civil Services Preliminary Examination. He suffered fractures to the thigh and tibia of his left leg after being hit by a police jeep.
He remained bedridden for nearly three years during prolonged treatment. A medical board certified more than 60 percent permanent physical disability. Even today, he requires crutches to walk.
The Dumka Tribunal had awarded compensation of Rs 9.58 lakh on December 24, 2005. The Superintendent of Police, Dumka, challenged the award before the High Court. Meanwhile, Bhanu Pratap Singh filed a cross-objection in 2025 seeking enhancement of the compensation.
The High Court assessed his functional disability at 70 percent and awarded Rs 5.99 lakh towards loss of future income, Rs 2 lakh towards medical expenses and Rs 1.08 lakh for loss of income during the treatment period, besides compensation under other applicable heads.
The court has directed the state government to deposit the enhanced compensation amount within eight weeks.
