The Madras High Court has directed an insurance company to pay Rs5 lakh to a woman whose husband was gored to death by a bull during a jallikattu event in Karur district. The court was hearing a petition filed by K Mathuram, who stated that her husband was fatally gored at the event held in Ratchandar Thirumalai village in 2025.
Insurance Policy Coverage
The entire event was covered by an insurance policy issued by the United India Insurance Company Limited. The policy stipulated that in the event of death or 100% permanent disability, the sum assured is Rs5 lakh. Despite the petitioner claiming the insurance amount, the company did not release it, prompting her to approach the court.
Objections Raised by Insurance Company
The counsel for the insurance company submitted that the claim was not paid due to two objections raised in the investigation report. Firstly, as per the FIR, the petitioner's husband was standing near the bull collection point. Secondly, the FIR did not mention the name of the bull owner that gored the victim.
Court's Observations
Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy observed that the FIR did not state that the husband had strayed into the path of the bulls, thereby overruling the first objection. Regarding the second objection, the judge noted that while it would have been appropriate for the police to include the bull owner's name, the omission was merely hyper-technical. The judge emphasized that the policy was taken by paying a premium precisely to cover such unfortunate events and directed the company to pay Rs5 lakh.
