Hindustan Times (Bathinda)

Late army officer’s family denied life insurance claim

- Hardik Anand hardik.anand@hindustant­imes.com

ROHTAK: The Rohtak-based family of Lt Nitish Kakkar, who died in a road mishap in Bathinda two years ago, is still struggling to cope up with the loss of their only son but the rejection of the insurance claim over his death has now further upset the bereaved family.

Lt Kakkar, 26, who got commission­ed into the 45 CAV Armoured Corps of the Indian Army in 2015, was killed on May 26 in the same year in an accident in Bathinda Cantonment area— the place of his posting.

However, the life insurance claim pertaining to the late army officer has been rejected on the ground that his documents were received by the company one day late.

“At first, Reliance General Insurance declined to process our claim saying we did not intimate them about our son’s death within 90 days. But when I showed them the receipt of their acceptance of our intimation, they changed their stance and said the payment was declined because the requisite documents had reached their office on the 181st day of Nitish’s death, and not within the stipulated period of 180 days,” Nitish’s father Jitender Arya said, adding that he had sent the documents in time.

The family said their repeated requests to the army to intervene in helping them get insurance claim elicited no response. The competent authority also denied special family pension and ex-gratia lump-sum compensati­on to the bereaved family, despite recommenda­tions from the senior army officers.

“The authoritie­s concerned have not told us why the family pension and ex gratia were rejected even when it was recommende­d by the top army officers officers ,” Arya said.

Meanwhile, the family said, the police are yet to reach a logical conclusion about the death of their son.

“All they know is that his body was found by the side of his bike on the highway. They have not been able to find out what happened and which vehicle (s) was involved in the accident,” he added. .

CLAIM REJECTED BY INSURANCE COMPANY, SAYING IT RECEIVED RELEVANT DOCUMENTS ONE DAY LATE

 ?? HT PHOTO ?? Lt Nitish Kakkar with his parents in 2015.
HT PHOTO Lt Nitish Kakkar with his parents in 2015.

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