Insurance firm directed to pay ₹7L for stolen car

JALANDHAR: The district consumer disputes redressal forum on Sunday directed an insurance company to pay insured value of ₹6.76 lakh of a stolen car to the complainant. The forum also ordered Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company Limited, a Gurgaon-based company, to pay 9% per annum interest on insurance value from February 23, 2017, and ₹30,000 as compensation and litigation expenses.

Complainant Kusum Lata of Jalandhar filed a complaint on July 6, 2017, alleging that she got her Maruti Suzuki car insured from the insurance firm through Lovely Autos. The complainant told the forum that on November 27, 2016, the car was stolen from New Delhi from a parking lot and she lodged an FIR before the Delhi Police in this regard.

Representative of the insurance company pleaded that there was a delay of 8 days in intimating the loss to the vehicle, which is violating the policy. Moreover, the complainant had not taken reasonable steps to safeguard the vehicle from theft as a second key was kept in the dash board of the car by her.

After considering both sides, the forum observed that there was no negligence on part of the complainant as she parked the car safely on the parking premises and it was also properly locked. The insurance company was directed to pay the insured value and compensation to the complainant.