A consumer commission in Nagpur has directed the State Bank of India (SBI) to pay Rs 5 lakh to a widow whose insurance claim was rejected due to a six-year delay in filing. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (Additional DCF) held that “mental shock” following the sudden death of a spouse is natural and that grieving families may take time to recover before pursuing financial claims, reported PTI.

In its order delivered last month, the commission ruled that a bank cannot use the 90-day claim submission deadline as a shield when it has failed to properly inform customers about the insurance benefits attached to their debit cards.