In Brief
A tractor was stolen and an FIR filed the same day, but the insurance claim was submitted 52 days later and rejected for delayed intimation. Consumer forums awarded compensation, but the National Commission reversed this. The Supreme Court held that when an FIR is lodged immediately after theft, police investigation is completed, and insurers' investigators confirm the theft is genuine, mere delay in informing the insurer cannot defeat the claim. The Consumer Protection Act deserves pragmatic construction. The appeal was allowed and the insured's compensation claim of Rs. 4.7 lakhs was upheld with interest.
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