ORIENTAL INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED Vs. TAJBAR SINGH RAWAT & 3 ORS ; STATE OF UTTARAKHAND; DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; STATE BANK OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This bunch of nine Revision Petitions, by one of the premier public sector Insurance Companies in the Country, namely, Oriental Insurance Company Limited (for short "the Insurance Company"), is directed against the orders, all dated 30.11.2015, passed by the Uttarakhand State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission at Dehradun (for short "the State Commission") in First Appeals No.1/2011, 2/2011, 3/2011, 4/2011, 5/2011, 6/2011, 7/2011, 8/2011 and 350/2013 respectively. By the impugned orders, the State Commission has affirmed the orders passed by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum at Chamoli (for short "the District Forum") in Complaint Cases No. 3/2005, 14/2005, 27/2005, 19/2005, 4/2005, 64/2005, 9/2005, 5/2005 and 1/2008 respectively. By the said orders, while directing the Education Department of the State of Uttarakhand to pay to each of the Complainants a sum of Rs. 5000/- towards mental agony and a further sum of Rs. 5000/- as litigation expenses, the District Forum had directed the Insurance Company to pay to each of the Complainants, except Complainants Dalebu Lal and Kishori Lal, the assured amount of Rs. 80,000/- together with interest @ 8% per annum from the date of filing of the respective Complaints till realization. As regards the Complainants Dalebu Lal and Kishori Lal, the District Forum had directed the Insurance Company to pay to each of them the assured amount of Rs. 20,000/- together with interest @ 8% per annum from the date of respective Complaint till realization.

(2.) Since the bone of contention in all the Revision Petitions is identical, these are being disposed of by this common order.

(3.) In short, the controversy involved in the Complaints, giving rise to the present Revision Petitions, was as to whether or not the amount of premium, deducted by the Department of Education in the State of Uttarakhand, the Employer, from the salaries of its employees, who were all insured under a group insurance policy, entitled "Group Nagrik Suraksha Policy" and deposited in the account of the Insurance Company, could be treated as the premium paid in respect of all the Insured under the said policy ? .