The Uttrakhand High Court was hearing a plea of bank regarding the accidental death claim insurance. (AI-generated Image)Uttarakhand High Court news: The Uttarakhand High Court has dismissed a plea of Uttarakhand Gramin Bank and upheld the single judge’s order that directed the bank to pay Rs 25 lakh in insurance benefits to the widow of a police constable.A division bench of Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay was dealing with a plea of a bank challenging the single judge’s decision.“The appellant bank does not dispute that the husband of the respondent had a salaried account in the bank,” the court observed on April 30. The bench noted that prerequisite for benefit of scheme was salary account in the bank, which is in operation and in which salary was credited regularly.Also Read | NCDRC rejects Rs 25 lakh insurance claim for widow after husband hid ‘advanced’ cancer diagnosisThe order added that there was no default in credit of salary; however, the only ground for denial of claim is that the name of the husband of the respondent was not included in the list of employees sent by the police department.Case of constable’s deathThe respondent is the widow of the late man, who served as a constable in the Uttarakhand Police and was on deputation as a driver for the SDRF. He died in a road accident on August 7, 2021, during the course of employment and left behind his wife and three daughters.The deceased had maintained an active salary account with the Uttarakhand Gramin Bank since 2015. On April 12, 2021, the bank introduced a “Complimentary Police Accidental Death Insurance Cover” in collaboration with National Insurance Co Ltd (NICL).The scheme was designed to provide Rs 25 lakh in coverage to all police personnel, irrespective of cadre, who maintained a salary account with the bank, with the bank itself bearing the premium costs.Story continues below this adBank’s refusal and legal challengeFollowing her husband’s death, the widow sought the insurance benefit, but the bank rejected her claim in May, 2022. The bank argued that it was not at fault because his name had been omitted from a list of 676 employees originally submitted by the police department for coverage.A single judge previously set aside the bank’s rejection, ordering the payment of the insurance amount plus 5 per cent interest per annum. The bank then challenged this decision before the division bench.Court’s findingsThe fact which are not in dispute in the present case are that her husband was an employee of the police department who had a salaried account in the appellant bank.The scheme operated by the appellant bank was a beneficiary scheme which provided insurance cover to the police personnel (irrespective of their cadre) having a salaried account with the appellant bank, and the premium was to be paid by the bank itself.We have asked learned counsel for the appellant as to whether the premium was to be paid by the bank, and learned counsel for the appellant bank fairly admits that the premium was to be paid by the bank itself.Also Read | Died in 1994 or 2013? Bihar insurance mystery reaches apex consumer body, ends in Rs 50 lakh payoutThe “Complimentary Police Accidental Death Insurance Cover” was a beneficial scheme, and the requisite condition of a salary account being in operational condition was fulfilled by the husband of the respondent.The prerequisite for the benefit of the said scheme was a salary account in the appellant bank, which is in operation and in which salary is credited regularly.It was the stand of the appellant that the husband of the respondent was not entitled to the benefit of the said scheme, which is bereft of merit and is against the material available on record.The judgment and the order passed by the writ court do not suffer from any infirmity, and we are not inclined to take a different view from the view taken by the writ court.Also Read | 19 years after Rs 19 lakh vanished from ATM, apex consumer body slashes 25 per cent insurance payoutJagriti Rai works with The Indian Express, where she writes from the vital intersection of law, gender, and society. Working on a dedicated legal desk, she focuses on translating complex legal frameworks into relatable narratives, exploring how the judiciary and legislative shifts empower and shape the consciousness of citizens in their daily lives. Expertise Socio-Legal Specialization: Jagriti brings a critical, human-centric perspective to modern social debates. Her work focuses on how legal developments impact gender rights, marginalized communities, and individual liberties. Diverse Editorial Background: With over 4 years of experience in digital and mainstream media, she has developed a versatile reporting style. Her previous tenures at high-traffic platforms like The Lallantop and Dainik Bhaskar provided her with deep insights into the information needs of a diverse Indian audience. Academic Foundations: Post-Graduate in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), India’s premier media training institute. Master of Arts in Ancient History from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), providing her with the historical and cultural context necessary to analyze long-standing social structures and legal evolutions. ... Read More © IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd