The Rajasthan Royals are facing legal action as an insurance company has taken them to court over a claim involving cricketer S. Sreesanth. The case revolves around an injury Sreesanth sustained during the 2012 Indian Premier League (IPL).
United India Insurance has appealed to the Supreme Court against an order from the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), which directed the insurer to pay ₹82.80 lakh to Royal Multisport Pvt. Ltd, the owner of the Rajasthan Royals. The insurance claim was filed due to Sreesanth's knee injury that he suffered during the IPL 2012.
The insurance company argues that the claim was wrongly dealt with by the NCDRC. A key point of contention is the non-disclosure of a pre-existing toe injury of Sreesanth. The insurer maintains that Sreesanth was not fully fit when he was insured, thus making the claim fall outside the policy's coverage. They argue that the repudiation of the claim was based on the non-disclosure of the toe injury, not on the connection between the toe and knee injuries.
Representing Royal Multisport Pvt Ltd, Senior Advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul argued that the toe injury did not prevent Sreesanth from playing. He emphasized that Sreesanth was actively playing when he suffered the knee injury during a practice session. Kaul added that the fitness certificates were provided, and the knee injury, which occurred during the policy period, was the reason Sreesanth was rendered unfit. He further stated that the purpose of such a policy is to ensure that a player who gets injured during a tournament and is unable to play still gets paid by the BCCI and the team.
Justice Mehta inquired whether the submitted fitness certificate disclosed the pre-existing toe injury, as required by the policy. The bench also noted that if the pre-existing toe injury had been disclosed, the insurer could have considered it during the policy issuance.
The Supreme Court bench, consisting of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, has adjourned the hearing to allow the insurance company to file additional documents. These documents include the insurance application and Sreesanth's medical fitness certificates.