Rampravesh Singh, who died in a train derailment accident, has become the first deceased rail passenger in India to be denied a claim under the railway’s travel insurance scheme being operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). Singh was one of the 146 passengers who died in the derailment of the 19321 Indore-Patna Express at Pukhrayan near Kanpur on November 20 in 2016.
The reason for the railways to deny the claim is something that passengers do regularly — board at a station other than the one mentioned on the ticket.
Singh was one of the 3.64 crore passengers who had voluntarily opted for this travel insurance scheme between September 1 to December 9 by paying a premium of 92 paise.
In reply to a Right to Information plea made by DNA, the IRCTC stated that “the passenger boarded the train before the scheduled boarding point as per ticket and the accident happened before his scheduled boarding point. Hence does not fall under the policy coverage”. Under the rail insurance facility, Singh’s nominees would have been eligible for a payout of Rs 10 lakh stipulated for death rising out of a railway-related accident.
The railway travel insurance operated by the IRCTC was started on September 1, 2016 as an optional service for passengers booking tickets on the IRCTC website. The insurance scheme was applicable only if the passenger managed to get a confirmed ticket.
On December 10, the railway ministry, in a bid to boost online transactions, waived off the premium and offered this insurance to all passengers who managed to get confirmed tickets through the IRCTC website. The Royal Sundaram Insurance, ICICI Lombard Insurance and Shriram General Insurance provide the insurance cover as part of the scheme.
The Indore-Patna express derailment, suspected to be a case of sabotage, was one of the country’s worst rail disasters. It left 146 passengers dead, 58 grievously injured and 122 injured. The railway ministry announced an enhanced ex-gratia amount of Rs 3.5 lakh each to the next of the kin of deceased, Rs 50,000 to the grievously injured and Rs 25,000 to passengers who sustained simple injuries. The Prime Minister had also announced a sum of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of dead and Rs 50,000 for each of the seriously injured passengers.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Kanpur accident")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}