Now it’s Life Insurance: SC agrees to hear case against LIC for ‘duping’ 5 crore customers

Agencies
July 10, 2019

New Delhi, Jul 10: A non-profit organization engaged in promoting financial literacy has moved the Supreme Court, alleging cheating, especially of senior citizens, by the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) through its Jeevan Saral policy, in which nearly 5 crore policy holders have "lost a big chunk on their principal investment".

The Mumbai-based Moneylife Foundation said it has received several complaints from policy holders, especially senior citizens, in the past few years.

"This scam is nearly or probably more than Rs1 lakh crore. We have a large number of complaints against this policy. This prompted us to file a Public Interest Litigation in the top court in the country. It is a clear case of cheating by the LIC," said Yogesh Sapkale of the foundation, which is seeking return of the premium of the policy-holders with 8 per cent interest.

After hearing senior counsel Arvind Datar, appearing for the foundation, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi posted the matter on July 15 for a detailed hearing.

The petition alleges that the Jeevan Saral policy was arbitrarily designed, and therefore, there was no emphasis on the due diligence aspect and gullible customers were misled through proposal forms, which were not correct.

After several allegations, the LIC recalled the policy in 2014, but the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and the Finance Ministry are yet to recall it, and the policy-holders have been running from pillar to post for redressal, it said.

According to the foundation, the policy has gobbled-up the hard-earned savings of crores of policy holders, and it also left the LIC agents and their association infuriated. There have been many protests and complaints against the LIC, but it has not yet decided on returning the premium of the policy holders.

Due to the ill-design of the policy, senior citizens received negative returns on their investment, the foundation said, citing an example of a senior citizen who invested nearly Rs 10 lakh in ten years but at the end of the policy's tenure, received merely Rs 3 lakh.

Although, few customers moved consumer courts and got favourable orders, but this whole process of litigation is extremely time-consuming, said the foundation.

Moneylife's petition alleges several complaints and representations have been made to the LIC highlighting the gross irregularity in their system, but it has not budged.

"The IRDAI is empowered under Section 33 of the Insurance Act read with the Insurance Amendment Act, 2015 and the IRDA Act, 1999 to investigate the malpractices. However, it has remained a silent spectator of 'mass cheating by LIC'," Sapkale said, clarifying they have locus standi on the matter, as policy-holders are not organized under a body.

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News Network
May 15,2020

Vishakhapatnam, May 15: LG Chem on Thursday said following the gas leak at its Visakhapatnam polymers plant, the company has started support measures and has begun the transportation of the Styrene Monomer inventory to South Korea to eliminate all risks factors.

The company would continue to work with government agencies to ensure all possible support for bereaved families and victims, LG Polymers, a step-down firm of LG Chem, said in a statement.

"We confirm the status-quo of the plant remains completely controlled by all measures. We have begun the transportation of the Styrene Monomer (SM) inventory within the plant as well as in the styrene tanks at the port by vessels to South Korea to prevent and eliminate all risks factors," the statement said.

The South Korean chemicals giant has sent an eight-member team from Seoul to investigate the Visakhapatnam gas leak incident and rehabilitate the victims of the tragedy that killed at least 11 people and forced the evacuation of thousands.

"The team of production, environment, and safety experts are currently investigating the cause of the incident and already supporting responsible rehabilitation which is their main objective," the statement said.

Furthermore, the team is working closely with related authorities to analyze the cause of the incident, prevent a recurrence, and support damage recovery in a prompt and expedient manner, it added.

On the support measures, the company said a special task force is currently supporting the bereaved victims and families and visiting them at the hospitals and their homes.

Besides, food and medical services have been organized for the returning residents. Various support activities such as supplying medical and household goods and sanitation of homes will be continued, it said.

"We assure everyone we will do our best to resolve the situation and prevent any incident in the future," the company said.

The company further said that "our teams will carry out mid-to-long-term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects that can contribute to the local community based on suggestions of the residents.

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News Network
January 17,2020

New Delhi, Jan 17: Airports in Srinagar and Jammu are to be “immediately” brought under the security cover of the CISF in view of the arrest of DSP Davinder Singh, a Jammu and Kashmir government order has said.

The two sensitive airports are to be “handed over” to the CISF by January 31, the order of the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department to the Director General of Police (DGP) said.

“This issue (CISF security at Srinagar and Jammu airports) has acquired immediacy in view of the recent developments relating to the arrest of Davinder Singh, DSP airport security, for trying to assist militants to travel to other parts of the country,” the order issued on Wednesday said.

Police had arrested Singh, a deputy superintendent of police, at Mir Bazar in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Saturday, along with Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists Naveed Baba and Altaf, besides a lawyer who was operating as an overground worker for terror outfits.

The two airports are guarded by the CRPF and the J-K Police at present.

The Union government had last year decided that the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will be handed over security of these two airports along with the one in Leh in view of their sensitive and strategic location and the threats it faced related to possible terrorist and hijack attempts.

CISF is the national civil aviation security force and at present it guards 61 airports including the ones at Delhi and Mumbai.

News agency had on January 13 reported that the Union home ministry sanctioned about 800 personnel to the CISF in order to take over security duties at the three airports of the newly created Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

As per the original plan, the CISF was to take over Jammu airport by next month and the Srinagar and Leh airports after the spell of severe cold ends.

However, officials said, keeping in mind the arrest of the DSP and his alleged links, the latest order has been issued which also directs the J-K Police to make arrangements for accommodation, transport and other logistical requirements of the armed contingent of the CISF on a quick basis.

Once inducted at the most-sensitive Srinagar airport, the CISF will secure access control at both city and air side (tarmac area) while the CRPF will be responsible for securing the outer periphery. At the Jammu airport, the peripheral security duties will be rendered by the JK Police.

An assortment of surveillance and security gadgets like CCTVs, observation monitors, hand-held metal detectors, bullet-proof patrol vehicles and bomb detection and disposal equipment are also being provided by the airport operator, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), to the CISF.

The Union government sometime back made it clear that CISF will be the only civil airports guarding force and all such facilities in the country will be gradually brought under its command to bolster aviation security and tighten anti-terror and anti-hijack protocols.

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Agencies
June 8,2020

Lucknow, Jun 8: The coronavirus which has now been assigned a gender, is being worshipped in Uttar Pradesh also after Bihar as superstition run deep. Women in some villages in Tumkuhiraj, Kasia, Hata, Captanganj and Khadda tehsil in Kushinagar district have started worshipping 'Corona Mai' and are pleading with her to spare lives.

These women have dug a small pit in the field, filled it with water and each one offers nine cloves and nine 'laddoos' to 'Corona Mai' to appease her.

Women from adjoining villages are now flocking to the 'temple' to pray to 'Corona Mai'.

Some local people have appealed to the district administration to stop such activities which spread superstition and misinformation.

Radhey Lal, a school teacher in Kasia, said, "The authorities must stop such activities which promote superstition. Everyone knows that there is no cure for corona and this kind of activities must be stopped."

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