1. Heard Mr. Kanti Kumar Ojha for the petitioner, Mr. Umesh Prasad Singh, Sr. Advocate, for respondent Life Insurance Corporation, and Mr. Vikash Jain, GP IV, for the respondent District Board, Sahebganj.

2. A hapless widow is the petitioner before this Court for an appropriate direction to the respondents regarding payment of Group Insurance payable to her after the death of her husband. The petitioners late husband Abul Kalam, was a class IV employee of respondent no. 5 (the District Board, Sahebganj), died in harness on 8.11.94, on which date the insured sum became payable. The maximum amount payable was a sum of Rs.50,000/-. After the death of her husband, the petitioner made efforts with the respondents for payment of the insured sum. She could receive Rs.2235.62p. only from respondent no.4 (the Life Insurance Corporation), (LIC, in short) which expressed inability to pay the balance of the insured sum for the reason that the premiums were paid belatedly.

3. The LIC in its counter affidavit has given the following chart to establish that the premiums were forwarded by respondent no.5 to respondent no.4 belatedly, and was a habitual defaulter :-

Due

date Date of deposi