MANGALORE : The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the Reliance Insurance Ltd to pay Rs 2 lakh to a woman from the city who had fought the case on behalf of her husband who had died of throat cancer even as the case was in progress.
Satish Das, a resident of Bolur in the city had secured an insurance policy for Rs one lakh of two year period in Reliance Health in the year 2007. In the meantime, he who suffered from throat cancer had availed treatment at the Fr Muller Hospital at Kankanady on August 15, 2008. However when he applied for claim, the company rejected his claim on the grounds that the policy holder was suffering from the disease prior to availing the policy. Prior to his death on March 22, 2009, Das had filed a complaint with the Consumer Court. His wife Revathi Das continued the case even after her husband’s death.
Even during the hearing, the company argued that the policy holder was suffering from the disease prior to availing the policy. However the Court pointed out that the company had no where mentioned in this policy that the policyholder was suffering from any disease. As the company failed to provide suitable evidence to prove its line of argument, the court held it guilty and directed it to pay as insurance claim, double the amount which the family spent towards the medical treatment of Satish Das.
Accordingly Reliance Insurance Ltd has to pay Rs 2 lakh at nine per cent interest rate along with Rs 1000 towards court expenses to the petitioner.
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