#delay in intimation

The Commission ruled that a 24-day delay in notifying the insurer of a tractor theft does not defeat the claim where the police were informed within 24 hours and the claim was genuine. It awarded the insured declared value with 7% interest from the complaint date plus ₹10,000 costs, reinforcing that prompt police reporting satisfies the policy's intimation requirement.

The Delhi High Court upheld a ₹13.92 lakh theft claim despite delayed intimation to the insurer, ruling that prompt FIR filing and corroborated loss through police reports and computerized stock records satisfy policy conditions. This clarifies that insurers cannot deny claims on technical delays when substantive proof of theft is established, benefiting FMCG and inventory-heavy businesses.