A 23-year legal struggle ended after the Supreme Court helped trace a Bihar widow and ensured Railways deposited her compensation. CJI Surya Kant said, “A smile on a poor person’s face is what we want to earn.”
The Supreme Court of India showed a compassionate side in a long-pending rail accident compensation case, after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant praised the efforts made to finally trace and pay an elderly widow from Bihar who had been waiting for justice for more than 23 years.
During the hearing, the CJI said,
“A smile on a poor person’s face is what we want to earn, nothing else,”
while appreciating that the Railways successfully located the widow and deposited the compensation amount of Rs 8.92 lakh in her bank account. The bench also included Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
The court noted that it was extremely difficult to find the woman because she had shifted to a different house in a remote village in Bihar and her last point of contact—her local lawyer—had passed away. The judges praised both the Railways and advocate Fauzia Shakil, who represented the widow pro bono.
The CJI said that
“This young lawyer (Shakil), who represented her pro bono ensured that she gets the compensation after 23 years. We had to trace her with the help of local police and administration and finally railways managed to pay her. A smile on a poor person’s face is what we want to earn nothing else.”
In its affidavit, the Railways informed the court that it followed the Supreme Court’s October 6 order and made detailed efforts with the help of local officials to track the woman, Sanyokta Devi.
The Railways recorded that,
“That in compliance with the order of the Supreme Court dated October 6, 2025 the Railways’ sent a staff to collect the PAN Card, Aadhaar Card, Certificate issued by the Gram Panchayat and Bank mandate particulars from the resident of the appellant/claimant with the help of the local police station. However, the appellant/ claimant submitted all documents except the Bank particulars. She later sent her Bank particulars through speed post on November 10, 2025 in this office,”
the affidavit stated.
The Railways further added that
“after receiving the bank particulars, the authorities had remitted Rs 8,92,953 lakh to her bank account on November 13.”
This case began in 2002, when Devi’s husband Vijay Singh, who had a valid train ticket from Bakhtiyarpur to Patna for the Bhagalpur–Danapur Intercity Express, accidentally fell from the crowded train at the starting station and died instantly.
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What followed was a 20-year struggle. Her claim before the Railway Claims Tribunal and the Patna High Court was rejected on the ground that Singh was allegedly of “unsound mind.”
Unhappy with this finding, Devi approached the Supreme Court through advocate Shakil. In February 2023, the Supreme Court rejected the reasoning of both the Tribunal and the High Court, calling their conclusions
“completely absurd”, “imaginary” and “contrary to the undisputed facts on record”.
The court had pointed out that
“What emerges is the fact that the appellant’s claim was not accepted by both the Tribunal and the High Court solely on the ground that the deceased was of unsound mind and he was knocked down by an unidentified train,”
but this reasoning made no sense because a person with unsound mind could not have purchased a ticket on his own or boarded a train by himself.
The court observed that
“if the deceased would have been of unsound mind, it would have been nearly impossible for him to purchase a valid railway ticket for travel to Patna and could not have tried to board the train all by himself.”
The Supreme Court had then ordered the Railways to pay the widow ₹4 lakh with 6% annual interest within two months.
However, due to the death of her local lawyer and her change of residence, she never received the court order. The Railways attempted several times to contact her but could not reach her because her address was outdated.
Finding it impossible to give her the compensation, the Railways returned to the Supreme Court seeking help.
The court noted that she had moved to a different place due to family circumstances and had become completely untraceable.
To ensure justice, the Supreme Court directed the Principal Chief Commercial Manager of Eastern Railway to issue a public notice in two major newspapers with full details of her entitlement.
It also asked the SSP Nalanda and the SHO of Bakhtiyarpur police station to personally trace her, verify her location, and inform her about the compensation.
After extensive efforts, the Railways informed the Supreme Court that they finally located her and her family in the correct village.
The court then directed the Railway officials to complete the payment process with the support of the local police. The SHO was also instructed to remain present and ensure that the amount was safely deposited in her bank account.
This case highlights the Supreme Court’s commitment to ensuring that justice reaches even the most vulnerable citizens, no matter how long it takes.
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