DY DIVISIONAL MANAGER, (PLI) OFFICE OF CHIEF POSTMASTER GENERAL; INCHARGE, POST OFFICE Vs. BANTI DEVI, W/O LATE SH NARESH KUMAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Late Sh. Naresh Kumar, husband of the complainant deposited a sum of Rs. 315/- with the petitioners on 04.02.2010 towards premium under its Rural Postal Life Insurance Scheme and a pass book bearing an entry regarding the deposit of premium was issued to him. Sh. Naresh Kumar died on 08.02.2010. A claim was lodged by the complainant seeking payment of the insured amount from the petitioner. The claim was, however, repudiated on the ground tht the proposal submitted by the deceased was accepted on 23.02.2010, much after he had died and therefore nothing was payable to the complainant.

(2.) The complaint was resisted by the petitioners on the same ground on which the claim was repudiated by them. It was also pointed out in the reply that the instructions printed on the back of the receipt clearly stipulated that the premium had been accepted provisionally and was subject to further acceptance of the proposal by the Chief Postmaster General. It was also stated that the agreement of proposal was to come into force only from the date of acceptance by the Chief Postmaster General.

(3.) The District Forum vide its order dated 26.08.2013, directed the petitioner to pay a sum of Rs. 1 lakh to the complainant alongwith interest on that amount at the rate of 9% per annum. The petitioner was also directed to pay Rs. 5,000/-, as compensation and Rs. 3,000/- as costs of litigation to the complainant.