Karnataka

Bidar

CC/48/2015

KALAWATHI W/O LATE SIDRAMAPPA MAHAJAN BASAVAKALYAN - Complainant(s)

Versus

LIC OF INDIA BASAVAKALYAN - Opp.Party(s)

RAJKUMAR S GORATA

27 Jul 2016

ORDER

::BEFORE THE DISTRICT CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL FORUM, AT BIDAR::

 

 

                                                                                                            C.C.No. 48/2015

                                                                                          Date of filing : 24/06/2015

                                                                                     Date of disposal : 27/07/2016

 

 

P R E S E N T:-                 (1) Shri. Jagannath Prasad Udgata,

                                                                                                   B.A., LL.B,

                                                                                                       President.

    

                                         (2) Shri. Shankrappa (Halipurgi),

                                                                                         B.A.LL.B.

                                                                                                    Member.

 

                                               

COMPLAINANT:-          Kalawathi, w/o late Sidramappa Mahajan,                                                           

                                         Age: 60 years, Occ: household,

                                      R/o Biradar Colony, Tq.Basavakalyan,

                                      Dist.Bidar.

                                       

 

                                     (By Shri. Rajkumar S.G., Advocate)

 

 

 

                                                      VERSUS

 

 

OPPONENT/S   :-            The Branch Manager,

                                       Life Insurance Corporation of India,

                                       Branch Basavakalyan,

                                       Tq.Basavakalyan,Dist.Bidar.

 

 

                                  ( O.P. By Shri. Basavaraj Udgir, Advocate)

                                       

 

 

                                      

::   J UD G M E N T  : :

 

 

By Shri. Jagannath Prasad Udgata, President.

 

 

                The complainant, a senior citizen  is before this Forum, filing complaint U/s. 12 of the C.P.Act., against the opponent, alleging deficiency of service in the part of the later.   The sum total of her complaint is as follows:-

 

2.               That, her husband late Sidramappa Mahajan, a resident of Basavakalyan in the district of Bidar had availed two accident benefit claims policies, vide nos. 660715674 and 660715041 for sum assured of Rs. 50,000/- each.  Said, late Sidramappa was victim of a road Traffic Accident on 22/01/2012, caused by the reckless driving of a following car bearing no. MH-25-A-2676 for which a case was registered vide Cr.no.15/2012 of Chittaguppa Police Station, under the jurisdiction of J.M.F.C. Humnabad, dist.Bidar.

 

3.              It is further the averments of the complainant that, her husband died due to the accident injury on 02-04-2012 at Birit .Hospital, Solapur, Maharastra while undergoing treatment due to spinal cord injuries, and she lodged the claim with opponent for the police benefits.  Her claim was refuted by the opponents, under the pretext that, the deceased had crossed 70 years of age on the date of accident and later on the date of consequential death and was not eligible for the policy cover, for which, she is before us.

 

4.                Consequent upon the Court notice, the opponents appeared through their counsel, one Sri. Basavaraj Udgir, and associates, who after initial hiccups, filed the versions, justifying the repudiation along with an I.A. U/s. 151 C.P.C. on 08-12-2015, combined with two unauthenticated photocopies of the policy documents which were found to be duplication of earlier photocopies, obfuscated, indecipherable and ineligible.  The learned counsel, was directed to submit legible copies of the documents, but unfortunately, till the date of order has not done so, for the reasons best known to him.

 

5.                 Both sides, have filed their evidence affidavits, written arguments reiterating their respective stands, so also documents listed at the end of this order, distinctly.

 

6.              Additionally, the complainant’s side, vide a memo dt.         14-07-2016, has filed an earlier award of this Forum in C.C.no.43/2013    (D.D. 22/02/2014 )  justifying the claim of the same complainant, holding interalia that, the age of the deceased on the date of entry of the policy and not the date of accident and or death is relevant. 

 

7.          Considering the claims and counter claims of the parties the following points arise for our consideration in the instant case.

  

1. Is the complainant able to prove that, there is deficiency of service in the part of the opponent?

 

 

2.  Is the opponent justified to refute the claim of the complainant?

 

  

 

3. What orders ?

 

 

 

 

 

8.    Our findings to the above points are as under:

       1.  In the affirmative.

       2.  In the negative.

       3.  As per the final orders due to the following:

 

                                            

:: R E A S O N S : :

 

9.           Both the parties are in agreement about the factum of the accident and consequential death of the policy holder, arising out of the injuries occurred due to road traffic accident.  The fact but remains, while the complainant has not submitted the policy documents, the opponents have filed the photocopies of the policy(s) along with copies of so called conditions on 08-12-2015, which were obfuscated and quite unreadable.  In spite of several opportunities, the opponents have miserably failed to furnish legible copies of policy documents as on the date of judgment, for which an adverse inference is drawn against them.  The onus to prove their justification was lying on the opponents and contingent upon their failure, we are constrained to pass the following:-

 

 

: :   ORDER : :

 

               

1.   The complaint is allowed in part.

 [

2.   The O.P. is liable to reimburse a sum of Rs. 1,00,000/- being the sum assured of two policies obtained by the deceased Sidramappa to the nominee- the complainant, with 9% interest p.a. calculated from the date of death i.e. 02-04-2012 till the date of realisation.

 

3. There would be no order as to compensation or cost of litigation.

 

4. Four weeks time granted to the O.P to comply this order.

 

 

                            

  ( Typed to our dictation then corrected, signed by us and then pronounced in the open Forum on this 27^th   day of July-2016 )

 

[

             Sd/-                                                                         Sd/-

Sri. Shankrappa H.                                          Sri. Jagannath Prasad                 

        Member                                                                  President

 

Documents relied upon by the complainant.

 

1. Ex.P.1- Certified copy of F.I.R.& complaint.
2. Ex.P.2- P.M. report of Dept. Of F.M.T. Dr.V.M. Medical college and general Hospital, Solapur.
3. Ex.P.3- Repudiation letter of opponent dt. 24-06-2014.    
4. Ex.P.4- Status report of policy no. 660715674.
5. Ex.P.5- Status report of policy no. 660715674.  
6. Ex.P.6- Report of Chitaguppa police station o J.M.F.C.

Humnabad, Dist.Bidar. dt. 05-05-2012.

 

Documents relied upon by the Opponent.

1. Ex.R.1- Photo copy of policy no.660715041 with enclosures

 (Indecipherable) 

2. Ex.R.2- Photo copy of policy no. 660515674 with enclosures.

(Both inadmissible in evidence-No legible copy(s)

Provided as per order dt. 08-12-2015).

       

 

             Sd/-                                                                         Sd/-

Sri. Shankrappa H.                                          Sri. Jagannath Prasad                 

        Member                                                                  President