A Telangana consumer commission has held HDFC Life Insurance guilty of deficiency in service after it allegedly rejected a group life insurance claim filed by the wife of a man who died of Covid-19. The commission directed the insurer to pay Rs 75.31 lakh under the policy, along with Rs 1 lakh as compensation, holding that the mere existence of diabetes and hypertension cannot, by itself, justify repudiation of a life insurance claim. However, the mere existence of diabetes or hypertension is not by itself sufficient to repudiate a life insurance claim,” the July 14 order read. Housing loan, group policy and COVID-19The woman claimed that her husband availed a housing loan of Rs 55 lakh from HDFC Bank on March 30, 2021, and simultaneously obtained a group life insurance policy from HDFC Life under a master policy. It directed HDFC Life Insurance to pay Rs 75.31 lakh under the group life insurance policy, Rs 75,000 towards compensation for mental agony, hardship and deficiency in service, and Rs 25,000 towards litigation costs within 45 days.