Good Samaritan Law - Protections and Benefits in India and Karnataka
Good Samaritan Protections and Benefits in India and Karnataka
Understanding your rights and the Rah Veer reward scheme
Samaritans of Mandya Ministry | Reviewed on 8 November 2026
When someone is injured on the road, a person nearby may be willing to help but afraid of what follows. Will the hospital demand payment? Will the police insist on repeated visits? Could an attempt to help lead to legal trouble?
India’s Good Samaritan protections address these concerns. Karnataka also has a dedicated law covering emergency assistance. Alongside these protections, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways recognises eligible helpers through its Rah-Veer scheme. Understanding the difference between legal rights, reimbursement and rewards can help our community respond with greater confidence.
What India means by Good Samaritan law
India’s Good Samaritan framework developed through several legal steps. The Ministry issued protective guidelines on 12 May 2015, followed by a procedure for examining witnesses in January 2016. On 30 March 2016, the Supreme Court approved the guidelines and procedure, with modifications, in SaveLIFE Foundation v. Union of India, W.P. (C) No. 235 of 2012. The Ministry’s notification of 9 August 2016 records their binding effect. [2, 3]
Parliament subsequently inserted Section 134A into the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 through the 2019 amendment. The Central Motor Vehicles (Twelfth Amendment) Rules, 2020—G.S.R. 594(E), dated 29 September 2020—set out detailed rights and examination procedures in Rules 168 and 169. These central provisions concern accidents involving motor vehicles. [1, 4, 5]
Who qualifies and what liability protection means
Under Section 134A, a Good Samaritan voluntarily assists a motor-vehicle accident victim in good faith, without expecting a reward or compensation. Assistance can include emergency medical or non-medical help at the scene or taking the injured person to hospital. [1]
Section 134A states that a qualifying helper “shall not be liable for any civil or criminal action” for injury or death resulting from negligence while providing, or failing to provide, such emergency assistance. This protection addresses a common fear: that an unsuccessful attempt to help will itself expose the helper to liability. [1, 5]
The protection has a defined purpose and scope. It should not be read as immunity for causing an accident or committing a separate offence. The 2015 guidelines expressly preserve the liability of a driver involved in the accident. Helping afterwards does not erase that responsibility. [2]
Your rights at the hospital and with the police
Rule 168(2) says a Good Samaritan reporting an accident or transporting a victim “shall be permitted to leave immediately”. Other protections under Rules 168 and 169 include the following. [4]
Your concern | What the rules provide |
Personal details | Disclosure of your name, address and other personal details is voluntary, including on hospital medico-legal forms. |
Admission and payment | You cannot be forced to complete admission formalities or pay the victim’s treatment expenses. |
Becoming a witness | Giving your name does not, by itself, allow police to compel you to become an eyewitness. |
Respectful treatment | You must be treated respectfully, without discrimination based on religion, nationality, caste or sex. |
Proof of assistance | If you volunteer your name, you may request a hospital acknowledgement of bringing the injured person. |
Voluntary witness examination | Examination should be at your convenient time and place, with the investigating officer in plain clothes. Video conferencing should be used extensively. |
The amended 2016 procedure also provides that an affidavit, if filed, is treated as the complete statement; where a statement is recorded, it must be completed in a single examination. These safeguards reduce inconvenience. They should not be interpreted as a promise that a person who chooses to give evidence can never be involved in court proceedings. [3]
For a volunteer, a useful habit is to ask for an acknowledgement when you want a record of your assistance. Keep it safely with any subsequent official communication. Do not delay the injured person’s care while collecting documents.
What Karnataka adds
The Karnataka Good Samaritan and Medical Professional (Protection and Regulation During Emergency Situations) Act, 2016 is Karnataka Act 26 of 2018, effective 3 May 2019. It extends to accidents, crime-related injuries and other medical emergencies. Its definition excludes helpers with an existing duty of care or special relationship. [6]
Protection and hospital rights. Sections 3–4 protect good-faith assistance subject to consent conditions and specified criminal exceptions, and prohibit compulsory hospital particulars, admission formalities and treatment payments.
Emergency care. Section 6 requires “immediate medical screening services and first-aid at free of cost”. Treatment cannot be delayed for payment. This does not make the entire hospital stay free.
Court expenses. Section 14 covers transport and lost daily wages for Good Samaritan witnesses attending court, with a “minimum of rupees one hundred per day” or a higher prescribed amount. Court-ordered payment is due that day, including adjournments. This is not a rescue reward.
Medical professionals. Section 5 provides procedural safeguards, including affidavits where accepted and video examination as far as possible; it does not grant blanket malpractice immunity.
The Act also establishes a Good Samaritan Fund. Section 16 permits complaints about police non-compliance to the Deputy Commissioner of Police or equivalent officer. [6]
For our community, these distinctions matter. A person who voluntarily helps a stranger, a relative accompanying a patient, and a doctor carrying out professional duties may have different legal responsibilities. When a particular incident raises questions, the exact facts and applicable provision should guide the advice sought.
The Ministry scheme now called Rah Veer
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways introduced its Good Samaritan award scheme in October 2021. The award was originally ₹5,000. Revised guidelines issued on 21 April 2025 renamed the scheme Rah-Veer and increased the amount to ₹25,000. Older articles mentioning only ₹5,000 therefore do not reflect the revised award. [7, 8]
The Ministry’s order No. RT-25035/27/2021-RS (195777), dated 17 July 2026, continues Rah-Veer until 31 March 2031. [9] The award is ₹25,000 per qualifying incident, subject to sharing rules, with a certificate of appreciation. An individual may receive up to five awards annually. [11]
Eligibility requires immediate assistance to a victim of a serious motor-vehicle accident and getting the victim to a hospital or trauma centre within the golden hour—the first hour after traumatic injury. Hospital-certified seriousness includes major surgery, at least three days’ hospitalisation, brain injury, spinal-cord injury or death during treatment. Consequently, the eligibility definition does not require the helper to guarantee survival. [9]
The award recognises an eligible act of assistance; it is not an automatic payment for every emergency call or hospital visit. Verification and approval are required. Nor should the prospect of recognition become a reason to demand money from the injured person or family.
How the award is shared
The sharing arrangements introduced in 2025 are retained in the July 2026 guidelines. [8, 9]
Assistance in one incident | Award arrangement |
One helper assists one or more victims | ₹25,000 in total for that helper. |
Several helpers assist one victim | ₹25,000 is divided equally among the helpers. |
Several helpers assist several victims | ₹25,000 per qualifying victim, subject to a maximum of ₹25,000 for any one helper. |
For example, if two eligible helpers assist one qualifying victim, the ₹25,000 award is shared equally: ₹12,500 each. The scheme’s conditions and official verification still apply.
How recognition and payment are processed
Police issue an acknowledgement after medical verification; hospitals notify police when a helper brings the victim directly. A District Magistrate-led committee reviews proposals monthly. Approved cases go to the Transport Commissioner for direct bank payment. These arrangements continue under the latest guidelines. [8, 9]
The July 2026 order permits interim applications containing the Accident ID, Aadhaar details and bank details while eDAR authentication is being enabled. Confirm the submission route with the district administration or transport office. [9]
Choosing to remain anonymous does not remove the underlying Good Samaritan protections. However, a helper who declines to disclose identifying details cannot receive the scheme award. Information volunteered for the award is to be used only for processing that award. [8]
Keep copies of the acknowledgement and application, and ask for a reference number when submitting documents. Share identity and bank information through the official process. Families and parish groups can help a volunteer organise these records after the immediate emergency has been addressed.
If your protections are ignored
Explain calmly that you assisted voluntarily and ask the police or hospital to follow the Good Samaritan provisions. Record the relevant date, location and official communication where possible. The 2015 guidelines provide for disciplinary or departmental action against public officials who coerce or intimidate helpers into revealing personal details. [2]
The current guidelines provide a grievance committee chaired by the Deputy Commissioner, Collector or District Magistrate. Ask the district administration for its contact. Seek legal advice if an incident leads to a dispute or formal notice. [9]
Preparing ourselves to help
For Samaritans of Mandya, learning these rights can support the willingness to serve. We encourage families, youth groups and parish volunteers to read the official documents below, discuss them during first aid training, and keep their emergency contacts accessible.
In an emergency, call 112, India’s integrated emergency number, give the location clearly and follow the dispatcher’s instructions. [10] Help within your skills, avoid putting yourself or others in danger, and prioritise professional care. Questions about recognition and paperwork can be addressed once urgent assistance is underway.
Our first blog introduced the Indian First Aid Manual. Knowing how to help and understanding the protections available to helpers are complementary parts of preparedness. A practical next step is to join recognised first aid training and share these official resources with someone who may otherwise hesitate to assist.
This article provides general legal information based on the official sources reviewed on 8 November 2026. Eligibility, procedure and legal protection depend on the circumstances and applicable provisions; the article is not individual legal advice.
Official Acts notifications and scheme references
1. Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 134A, protection of Good Samaritans
5. Press Information Bureau, 1 October 2020 — official explanation of the rules and Section 134A
7. MoRTH Year End Review 2025 — official account of the revised Rah-Veer award
10. Ministry of Home Affairs — Emergency Response Support System and 112
11. Press Information Bureau, 4 January 2026 — Good Samaritan protections and Rah-Veer recognition
Related posts
How to Give CPR to an Adult
Nov 8, 2026
CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, helps keep blood circulating when the heart cannot pump effectively. This guide explains what a bystander can do for an adult or teenager who suddenly collapses. It focuses on hands-only CPR, with instructions for trained rescuers who can also give breaths
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.