Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission has ordered an insurance company under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India, to pay Rs 12,60,000 to a plaintiff who lost his wife and sustained injuries in a fire.
Hon’ble Justice Shantanu S Kemkar and commission member SS Bansal ordered the company, after hearing the case registered against the insurance company and gas agency.
Plaintiff Amit Sharma son of Brijmohan Sharma; Brijmohan Sharma son of late Mewalal Sharma; Govind Sharma son of Anup Sharma; and Anup Sharma son of Rambabu Sharma filed the complaint against the companies and their agencies.
The complaint was presented by the complainants under Section 17 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
According to the complaint, on February 16, 2009, domestic gas cylinder was provided by the gas agency to the plaintiff on resident.
“Due to the manufacturing error in the gas cylinder, on 22-2-2009, while cooking food from the gas cylinder, a fire broke out due to rapid gas leakage and cylinder burst, due to which all the household items of the complainant have been destroyed by burning,” Sharma said. Amit, his sister Suman Sharma, Govind’s mother and Anup’s wife were seriously burnt. They were immediately taken to nearby hospital and then to specialised hospital due to serious burns. And later was taken to Viva Hospital. L Suman and Amit were severely burnt and taken to Delhi via Air Charter Service.
Suman died on 5th March 2009 during treatment at Safdarganj Hospital, Delhi. The information of the incident was immediately given to the police and fire brigade.
Stating that there was a manufacturing error in the domestic gas cylinder as the negligence of the appellants, relief was sought as follows in the complaint presented in relation to the damage caused to the complainants.
The gas company investigated the incident and determined that the gas was kept at a higher distance than prescribed; non-standardised pipes were used; and basic precaution of turning off the plug was ignored by the plaintiff.
Further, the plaintiff had filed insurance claim as per the requirements. Following verification of the same, Kemkar and Bansal ordered the insurance company for compensation.
The insurance company must pay the sum of Rs 12 lakh and 60 thousand within two months as per orders. The company might be required to pay interest as per norms as well.
