The Bombay High Court recently informed that the Railway Minister has declined its request to approve a ₹5 crore settlement for Nidhi Jethmalani, a 25-year-old woman who has been in a persistent vegetative state since a 2017 accident involving a Western Railway car at Marine Drive.

The accident occurred on May 28, 2017, when Nidhi, then 17, was struck by a car owned by Western Railway while crossing the road near Marine Plaza on her way to K.C. College. The impact caused severe brain damage, leaving her in a vegetative state.

In 2021, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Nidhi nearly ₹70 lakh in compensation and a ₹1.5 crore corpus for future medical expenses. However, her father appealed for a higher settlement, leading the Bombay High Court to describe the case as a “rarest of rare” instance and request the Railway Minister’s approval for a ₹5 crore final settlement.

Despite the court’s recommendation, the Railway Minister has not accepted the proposed settlement. The court has now directed the Railway authorities to inform it of the minister’s decision.

Sources