Page 57 - Suri’s - NCDRC ON LIFE INSURANCE 2017 V1.3

Suri’s - NCDRC ON LIFE INSURANCE 2017 57

11. The next issue for consideration in the matter is the applicability of section
45 of the Insurance Act, 1938. The said section states as follows:-
―No policy of life insurance effected before the commencement of this Act
shall after the expiry of two years from the date of commencement of this Act and
no policy of life insurance effected after the coming into force of this Act shall, af-
ter the expiry calf two years from the date on which it was effected be called in
question by an insurer on the ground that statement made in the proposal or in any
report of a medical officer, or referee, or friend of the insured, or in any other
document leading to the issue of the policy, was inaccurate or false, unless the in-
surer shows that such statement was on a material matter or suppressed facts
which it was material to disclose and that it was fraudulently made by the policy-
holder and that the policy-holder knew at the time of making it that the statement
was false or that it suppressed facts which it was material to disclose:
Provided that nothing in this section shall prevent the insurer from calling for
proof of age at any time if he is entitled to do so, and no policy shall be deemed to
be called in question merely because the terms of the policy are adjusted on sub-
sequent proof that the age of the life insured was incorrectly stated in the pro-
posal.‖

12. The matter has been examined in a number of judgments passed by the
Hon‘ble Supreme Court from time to time. In ―P.C. Chacko & Anr. vs. Chairman,
Life Insurance Corporation of India & Ors. [III (2008) CPJ 78 (SC)]‖, it has been
stated as follows:-
―13. There are three conditions for application of Second Part of Section 45 of
the Insurance Act which are:

―(a) the statement must be on a material matter or must suppress facts which it
was material to disclose;

(b) the suppression must be fraudulently made by the policy-holder; and

(c) the policy-holder must have known at the time of making the statement
that it was false or that it suppressed facts which it was material to disclose.

[See Mithoolal Nayak (supra]‖

13. It is clear from the facts and circumstances of the case that suffering from
diabetes, hypertension etc. and getting treatment for ARF was a material fact which
must be within the knowledge of the deceased policy holder. It was, therefore, the
bound duty of the deceased to have disclosed these facts and for his failure to do so,
he cannot take advantage of section 45 of Insurance Act, on the ground that the death
took place after two years of obtaining the policy in question. Even after the lapse of
two years of taking the policy, it was necessary to disclose information about the ma-
terial facts before the Insurance Company.

INDEX