A Bengaluru consumer commission has directed a health insurer to pay Rs 2.48 lakh to a 62-year-old policyholder whose knee surgery claim was allegedly rejected over missing medical records relating to epilepsy and stroke, despite a hospital certificate stating he had no history of either condition. The commission also ordered Rs 25,000 in compensation for mental pain and harassment and Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs.

President V Anuradha and members H Janardhan and Sharavathi S M of the Bangalore Urban II Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission were hearing a complaint filed by Ramesh Yelahanka Srikantiah against the insurer alleging deficiency in service and unfair trade practice for refusing to register his Rs 2.48 lakh reimbursement claim for knee surgery over the allegedly missing records.

The commission on October 1 said, “There is no direct cause and effect relationship between epilepsy/stroke and knee osteoarthritis with a meniscus tear,” holding that the insurer ‘s reason for…