India, Sept. 19 -- The Orissa High Court has directed East Coast Railways to pay Rs.9.23 lakh in compensation to the family of a passenger who died after falling inside a compartment of the Neelachal Express in 2006.

A single bench of justice Sanjeeb K. Panigrahi, while allowing an appeal filed by the deceased's heir, set aside the Railway Claims Tribunal's repeated rejection of the claim and highlighted the strict liability of the Railways under the Railways Act, 1989.

Sarbeswar Swain, who was travelling from Allahabad to Cuttack, allegedly fell inside the train compartment after a sudden jolt and sustained brain injuries on December 25, 2006. Swain, who was 19 years old at the time of the accident, was shifted to Gaya Government Hospi...