Bombay HC Confirms ₹62.2 Lakh Compensation To Shah Rukh Khan’s Late Employee’s Family

The Bombay High Court has ordered a compensation of Rs 62.2 Lakh to Charu Khandal's family.

The Bombay High Court has ordered a compensation of Rs 62.2 Lakh to Charu Khandal’s family, who was an animator at Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment. Charu suffered life-altering injuries in a 2012 hit-and-run incident and was paralysed until she died in 2017. This compensation was upheld by the HC eight years after the initial claim was filed. Read more about the court order here!

Shah Rukh Khan’s Employee Granted Compensation

According to PTI, the ruling follows the Motor Accidents Claim Tribunal’s (MACT) November 2020 order of compensation, which Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company disputed. On May 9, 2024, a bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Advait Sethna dismissed the appeal, describing the compensation as ‘fair and reasonable’ given the unfortunate circumstances of the case.

Charu Khandal bagged a National Award as a lead character animator and part of the team responsible for the VFX work on the 2011 Shah Rukh Khan film Ra.One. She celebrated this victory with her sister Ritu and her friend Vikrant Goyal. Several hours later, their auto rickshaw was hit by a speeding car in Mumbai’s Oshiwara area. While Ritu sustained a minor injury, Khandal and Goyal were hit severely and fell into comas. Though she regained consciousness, she remained paralysed from the neck down and was under round-the-clock care until she died in 2017.

Court Dismisses Insurer’s Claims

The insurer challenged the tribunal’s order by claiming that Charu’s death wasn’t directly related to the incident. However, the court found that her death was due to complications of quadriplegia, which stemmed from the incident. The court also observed that checking each medical bill with mathematical precision would be excessive in such a case.

In denying the appeal, the bench emphasised that compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act is intended to provide relief to victims and their families and is not constrained by strict technicalities. The court noted that the family had spent approximately Rs 18-20 lakh on Khandal’s treatment, which included full-time attendants and physiotherapy over time.

Also Read: Reddit Claims Shah Rukh Khan Was Forced To Attend MET Gala By His Manager And Sabyasachi!

Shah Rukh Khan Visits

Upon learning about the accident, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan visited Charu Khandal at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. Her family said that SRK not only spoke with her doctor but also spent time with her family, offering encouragement and expressing hope in her strength to recover.

Also Read: THIS Promise Of Shah Rukh Khan To Wife Gauri Khan Cost Him Crores

Despite her condition, she reportedly was making an effort to regain some normalcy. She had also regained her voice with the help of an assistive technology, and also began using the computer again.

First Published: May 15, 2025 4:05 PM