MOHIT KUMAR Vs. OFFICE OF THE INSURANCE OMBUDSMAN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioners in the instant writ petition are aggrieved by the impugned award dtd. 19/10/2020 passed by respondent no.1-Insurance Ombudsman. The said award affirmed the order dtd. 12/4/2020 passed by respondent no.2-Insurance Company, wherein, the claim of the petitioners was rejected.

(2.) The facts of the case would show that the petitioners have availed Master Travel Insurance Policy No. 9202919282220000084 by the name of the Reliance Travel Care Policy-Corporate Short Term. The said travel policy covers both the petitioners who intended to travel by Alitalia Airlines vide flight no. AZ-769 from Delhi to Rome (Italy) on 28/2/2020 for their honeymoon trip.

(3.) The Government of India, on 26/2/2020, issued an Advisory to its citizens to refrain from any non-essential travel to Italy. The petitioners adhering to the advice passed by the Government of India and keeping in mind a rising number of cases of Covid-19 across the globe, decided to cancel their bookings as according to their understanding, the places to visit became uninhabitable. Thereafter, on 11/3/2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus as a 'pandemic' and on 13/3/2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs notified the States and declared Covid-19 as a notified disaster.