Delhi HC notice on pilot's family plea for Rs 85.6L insurance claim

The Delhi High Court has sought responses from New India Assurance after the family of a pilot killed in the Baramati crash challenged the rejection of their Rs 85.6 lakh insurance claim. The court will hear the matter again on August 19.

The Delhi High Court has issued notice on a petition filed by the family of late commercial pilot Capt. Sumit Kamal Kapur, seeking release of an insurance claim of Rs 85.6 lakh after the insurer allegedly rejected the claim arising from his death in the January 2026 Baramati aircraft crash. The Court has sought responses from the concerned respondents and listed the matter for further hearing on August 19.

Justice Jasmeet Singh passed the order on July 21 while hearing a writ petition filed by Capt. Kapur's widow, Anju Kapur, along with their children, Capt. Shiv Kapur and Dr. Sanya Kapur Wadhwa. The petition seeks a writ directing New India Assurance Company Ltd. to release the insurance amount of Rs 85,60,000 under a Loss of Licence Insurance Policy, besides interest on the delayed payment, quashing of the insurer's rejection letter dated June 25, 2026, and a direction to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to conduct an inquiry into the alleged wrongful denial of the claim.

Issuing notice, the High Court directed that the respondents be served through all permissible modes, including electronic and dasti service, with the petitioners taking steps within one week. The matter has been made returnable on August 19, 2026.

Details of the Crash and Policy

According to the petition, Capt. Kapur was a veteran commercial pilot with over 22,000 flying hours and had held an Airline Transport Pilot Licence since 1985. He died in the aircraft crash at Baramati, Maharashtra, on January 28, 2026, along with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and three others.

The family states that Capt. Kapur was covered under a Loss of Licence and Personal Accident Group Insurance Policy obtained through the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), under which a total amount of Rs 85.6 lakh, comprising an Rs 80 lakh sum insured and cumulative bonus benefits, became payable upon his death.

Family Challenges Insurer's Rejection

The petition contends that the insurer wrongly repudiated the claim by relying on Section 64VB of the Insurance Act, 1938. The family argues that New India Assurance had itself extended the timeline for policy renewals and fresh enrolments until January 31, 2026.

Since the fatal accident occurred on January 28, 2026, during the extended renewal period, the petitioners submit that the insurer cannot subsequently invoke the premium-payment provision to deny liability. The petition further argues that once the insurer voluntarily kept the premium payment and renewal window open until January 31, the insurance coverage continued during that period, making the repudiation arbitrary and contrary to the terms of the policy.

The matter was argued on behalf of the petitioners by Advocates Saurav Agarwal, Ritika Jhurani and Dinesh Sharma, while Dr. Sanya Kapur Wadhwa also appeared as petitioner-in-person.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)