1. Taking exception to the order passed by the Permanent Lok Adalat (PLA) (Public Utility Services) (PUS), Bastar at Jagdalpur constituted under Section 22B of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 (hereinafter called as “the Act of 1987”) by which the said PLA (PUS) has passed the award directing payment of compensation, this batch of writ petitions under Article 227 of the Constitution of India have been filed by the petitioners herein.

2. Since common question of fact and law is involved in these writ petitions, they were heard analogously and are being decided by this common order.

For the sake of convenience, the facts mentioned in WP 227 No. 265 of 2017 are being taken up as lead case:-

2.1 The claimant/respondent herein filed an application under Section 22A of the Act of 1987 before the PLA (PUS) stating inter-alia that husband of the respondent namely Radheshyam Rathore has got a Group Personal Accident Insurance Policy issued from the petitioner/Insurance Company for the period commencing from 1.2.2011 to 31.1.2012, he died during which the insurance policy was in force as he was murdered on 2.10.2012 and offence under Sections 302 and 120B/34 of the IPC was regist