The Madras High Court has allowed a Women’s Religious Congregation to claim compensation for a nun, who died in a road accident 16 years ago.

The Madurai bench of the court asked Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation to pay the compensation, dismissing their argument that the congregation was not the legal heir of the nun.

The Motor Accidents Claim Tribunal in 2009 ruled in favour of Auxilum Sisters’ Congregation after a member of the congregation was hit and killed by a bus owned by the corporation in 2002. However, the corporation appealed against the tribunal verdict in the High Court arguing that the nun had no heirs, and no dependents.

Justice A M Basheer Ahamed on June 2 dismissed the appeal saying that the congregation suffered loss due to the death of the voluntary worker in the accident.

The transport corporation contended that the relationship between the deceased nun and her congregation was that of employee and employer and the employer cannot be held to a legal heir to claim compensation.