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Judgment
Shiva Kirti Singh and Hemant Kr. Srivastava, JJ.—Heard learned Counsel for the Appellant and learned Counsel appearing for New India Assurance Company Ltd.
The writ court by the order under appeal dated 17.1.2006 dismissed the writ petition preferred by the Appellant in the year 2003 in view of statutory remedy available to him before the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority and/or Ombudsman.
Learned Counsel for the Appellant took us through the Redressal of Public Grievances Rules, 1998. We find that Rules 12 and 13 clearly vest necessary power in the Ombudsman to consider a complaint of the nature being raised by the Appellant. It is also evident from Sub-sections (2), (3) and (4) of Section 64UM of the Insurance Act, 1938 that the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority also has power, though discretionary, to consider a grievance against improper or wrong settlement of his claim. We find no merit in the submission advanced on behalf of Appellant that if this Court has power under Article 226 of the Constitution, it must exercise that power in all cases even if there be any alternative statutory remedy available to the Petitioner.
We also find no merit in the submission that because notice was issued to the Insurance Company at the admission stage the writ petition could have been considered only on merits and could not have been dismissed on the ground of availability of alternative statutory remedy. We find no merit in this appeal. It is accordingly dismissed.