Dr. P.D. Shenoy, Member—This revision petition is filed with a delay of 38 days. For the reasons stated in the application for condonation of delay, this delay is condoned.

P. Govindarajulu Reddy and his wife Smt. P. Bharathi took a medi-claim policy from the National Insurance Company Limited for Rs.2 Lacs valid from 13.11.2000 till 12.11.2001. The policy was renewed for a further period of one year i.e. till 12.11.2002. During the last week of August, 2002, while the policy was in currency, complainant No.2 fell down and developed severe pain in both her knees. Accordingly, she consulted the doctors at Apollo Hospital, who advised her to get herself admitted for surgery. She underwent surgery for both the knees successively on 12.9.2002 and 16.09.2002 and finally discharged on 21.9.2002. She incurred a total expenditure of Rs.3,47,274- towards hospitalization and surgery for which she filed a claim with the insurance company but the latter repudiated the claim on the ground of concealment of pre-existing disease for the last 5 or 10 years compelling the complainants to file a complaint before the District Forum.

The District Forum after going through the record of the case and