OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL FORUM, ANGUL

       PRESENT:- SRI  DURGA CHARAN MISHRA.                          

                                       PRESIDENT

                                                             A N D 

                                   Smt.Sunanda Mallick &Sri K.K.Mohanty,

                                      MEMBERS .

                              Consumer Complaint No. 60   of 2013

                                         Date  of  Filling : -31.07.2013.

                                                 Date  of  Order :- 30 .04.2019.

Saroj Dhal,S/O.Sudhakar Dhal,Vill-Damol,

Suranga,Parjang,Dist.Dhenkanal,

At Present:- At- Hatatota,Talcher Town,

P.O/P.S/Dist.Angul,Dist.Angul.

                                          ___________________________________________Complainant.

                   Vrs. 

 01.Policy Servicing Offfice,Reliance General

      Insurance Comp.Ltd,At- Oswal Chamber,

     2^nd Floor-2,Church Lane,Kolkata-700001.

02.Chairman,Reliance General Insurance Comp.Ltd.,

     At- 570,Rectifier House,Nalgaon,Cross Road,

     Wadaka(W),Mumbai- 400031.

03.Manager,Magma Finance Corp.Ltd.,At-

     Hanuman Bazar,Angul Town,(In front of Subhra

     Tower),P.O/P.S/Dist.Angul.

                                  ___________________________________________Opp. parties

For the complainant              :-  Sri Md.Azad & associates(Advs.).

For the opp.party  No. 1 & 2:-   Sri B.K.Mangaraj & associates(Advs.)

For the opp.party  No.3         :-   Sri B.K.Mangaraj & associates(Advs.)

 : J U D G E M E N T   :

Sri D. C. Mishra, President.

           The  petitioner has filed this  case with prayer to direct the opp.parties  to settle  the  accident  claims  of Rs. 13,86,718.00   of the  insured  vehicle bearing No. OR 06C 5850 , along with  18% interest from the date of accident till the actual payment   is  made  and  Rs. 50,000.00  towards  cost of  litigation, mental agony and harassment.

2.       The  petitioner’s  case runs thus :-

          That,  the   petitioner is the Regd. Owner of the  vehicle TATA TIPPER   bearing  No. OR- 06C- 5850 . The  vehicle met with an accident on 9.4.2008. The  accident  took place during  the  valid insurance  period  i.e. in between 30.11.2007 to  29.11.2008.  The  damaged  vehicle  was repaired  by  the  petitioner spending Rs.13,86,728.00 at M/S. Dehury  Motors (Authorized dealer of TATA  motors). The  petitioner   placed  all documents before the opp. parties to settle the  claim but opp. parties did not   respond.  Then the  petitioner  moved to  Insurance  Ombudsman, Orissa, Bhubaneswar. As  per the   submission of the petitioner,  inspite of the  direction of the  Ombudsman   dtd.  25.01.2013 the opp. parties  are  not  turning  up to  settle  the  claim. So  the petitioner   being harassed  has  approached the DCDRF for  compensation and  cost.

3.       Opp. party No.3 has  contested the  case  by  fling  written version  with prayer   for  dismissal of the  case on the  ground that  opp.party No.3  is  only  the  financer and he is  not at all  liable for  any action of opp. party No.1  & 2 and he is not supposed to settle the insurance claim. According to opp. party No.3,  the  complainant had  taken  loan  from  him but  opp.party No.3  had  never initiated for  the  Insurance  Policy  with  opp.party No.1 & 2   for the  complainant.

          Opp.party No.1 &  2  were  debarred  from filing  written version  but  subsequently  they have  filed  written  submission  (written argument ) stating  that  the  complainant  had  insured  the Tipper No. OR 06C- 5850  for  Rs. 3,15,000.00   only  vide   policy No. 150607 2329014526   but  the  complainant   never  intimated  about the accident or the loss. Opp.party  No.1 &  2  have  specifically   pleaded  that due  to non- co-operation of the   complainant   the  claim  could not be disposed of  within  a  reasonable time.

5.       In  view  of the  above   viral  pleadings  of the   parties the  following issues  arise  for  consideration .

Issue:-

1. Whether  the  case is  maintainable  or  not ?
2. Whether  the opp.parties  are  liable  to give  the  claim  amount of the complainant ?
3. To what  reliefs  the   parties  are entitle  to ?

Issue No.(i):-       Despite  valid  insurance of the  complainant, opp. party No.1 & 2  did not settle his  accident  claims  for  which the case is maintainable and there is  cause of  action to   file the  case.

Inspite ofdirectionsdtd. 25.01.2013 of theInsuranceOmbudsman, the opp.partyNo.1 & 2did notsettletheclaimfor which thecomplainant has filedthiscase on 31.07.2013.Thereforethere isno delayin filing of thecase and thecase is not barred bylimitation. Sincetheinsurancewas made atAngulthisforumhas jurisdictionto decidethecase.

Issue No.(ii):-Within  the  valid  insurance period  i.e. on 9.4.2008 ( in between  30.11.2007  to 29.11.2008)  the  accident  took  place and  soon after  the  accident, the  complainant  reported  the  fact  at the   nearest  police station  as well as to the  insurance   company  (Opp.party No.1  & 2) through the financer(OP-3). In the  3^rd  page of the  written argument  the opp.party No.1 & 2  have  mentioned  that the  complainant  has submitted  an  exorbitant “  Proforme  invoice” dtd.  9.3.2013  for Rs. 13,86,718,00  only  from  one M/S. Dehury  Motors  of  Parjang  which is  five times  the IDV of Rs. 3,15,000.00 . The  claim  amount may be  exorbitant   but  it is  still pending  for  settlement. In the  mean time  more than 10 years  have been  passed and the  poor  customer  is  running   from  pillar  to  post to get  his  genuine  claim. If  high amount  was  claimed,  what   prohibited   opp.party No.1 &2  to pass   the  real  IDV  amount of Rs. 3,15,000.00  only. Though the opp. parties have  taken  the  stand  that  despite   repeated  correspondences  to the   complaint he  failed to  furnish  necessary  particulars  but the  admitted   fact is that the   proforme invoice  dtd. 9.3.2013  has been  submitted   by the complainant is  still pending  before   them . Further ,the opp.party No.1 & 2  have admitted  at page- 5  second para that the  claim of the  petitioner was closed  initially. Thus it is clear that the opp.party No.1 & 2 are trying  to delay  the  matter  and harass the   complainant. Therefore, the opp.party No. 1 &  2  should   pay  the  insured   amount  of Rs. 3,15,000.00  to the  complainant  along with  interest and  litigation  charges for   their  deficit  in rendering  services  .

5. Hence the order.

: O R D E R :

             The  case is  disposed  of on contest.    Opp.party No.3  is  not  at all  liable  in this case. Opp.party No.1 & 2   shall  pay Rs. 3,15,000.00 (Rupees Three Lakh Fifteen Thousand)  towards  claim (damage)  of the  complainant  with 7 % yearly compoundable  interest  from the date of filing  this case i.e from 31.07.2013  till  actual payment is  made along with Rs. 25,000.00(Rupees Twenty-Five Thousand)  towards cost  of  litigation within  45  days  of  getting  this  order. It is   made  clear that  in case of  any deviation of this order  by opp.party No.1 & 2,then they  shall pay 12%  quarterly  compoundable  interest on the IDV   of Rs.3,15,000.00 (Rupees Three Lakh Fifteen Thousand)  from the  date  of accident till actual  payment is  made.

                                                                     Order delivered in the open forum                                                                                                      today the 30^th  April,2019 with hand                                                                                                    and seal of this Forum.

Typed to my dictation

and corrected by me                                                                                                   Sd/-

                                                                                                                                       (Sri D. C. Mishra)     

    Sd/-                                                                                                                                 President.       

  (Sri D. C. Mishra)                                                         

    President.

 Sd/-                                                                                                                                  Sd/-

 (Sri K.K.Mohanty),                                                                                                      (Smt.S.Mallick),

      Member.                                                                                                                        Member.