National Insurance Co Ltd has been directed by a consumer forum here to pay over Rs 5 lakh to a businesswoman for “arbitrarily” repudiating a theft claim and also initiate disciplinary action against the incompetent officer who supported or approved such illegal action. The New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, presided by C K Chaturvedi, asked the insurance firm to pay Rs 5,07,160 to Delhi-based Veena Jain immediately.
Jain had told the forum that on January 19, 2008, some persons stole goods from her factory in Ghaziabad after forcibly taking key of the premises from the guard at gun point and escaped. The police was immediately informed and some of the culprits were apprehended and some articles were recovered and a case was registered in this regard.
The insurance firm had appointed a surveyor who gave a report which supported the facts of theft and recorded loss assessment of around Rs 4 lakh but the company rejected the claim and ignored the report, she alleged. The consumer forum accepted her plea and directed the company to pay her claim.
“The thieves were apprehended and some articles received. It is a police case of theft, and we are surprised at the fanciful unjust approach of Opposite Party (firm) in arbitrarily repudiating the claim, which should have been paid immediately. “We hold OP guilty of deficiency and direct OP to pay Rs 4,07,160 as loss recorded by surveyor…and pay compensation of Rs 1 lakh for deficiency, harassment and litigation expenses,” the forum said.
