The saga of a stolen scooter

Hari Krishan Chaudhary

God forbid if your vehicle is stolen. For, getting the insurance claim is an uphill task. I learnt it the hard way when I found my scooter missing from the parking lot. The police inspector tried to convince me that they would soon find my scooter and catch the culprit even without the lodging of an FIR. They tried to dissuade me from filing an FIR, saying that it would entail my visiting the police station and court several times. When I insisted on the FIR, they asked me to accompany them to the crime site.

They randomly called a passerby to inquire about the scooter and checked the parking area, as if the thief would have parked it there again after taking a free ride. All in vain. We returned to the thana to write the FIR. It was no mean achievement.

Then, I submitted a request for my claim with the insurance company. Days later, I got a letter that they needed a non-traceable report to process the claim. Back to square one, I met the inspector, who by now had become like an old acquaintance. He grinned, "Sir, the file will first go to the headquarters, thereafter you come back to us before going to the court."

Months later, I again went to the police station. The SHO, in a helpful mood, issued a letter confirming the vehicle's non-recovery. I thanked him and went to the insurance company. "No sir, this is not a non-traceable report. It has to be confirmed by a magistrate." I was flabbergasted. Why does a police department document have no authenticity? Why is the overburdened judicial system made to do such routine tasks?

The insurance official wasn't impressed by my pleading. Pointing to the stacks of files touching the ceiling in the room, he said, "Sir, your case is just nine months old; there are hundreds of cases lying pending for want of non-traceable reports. Had it been an accident case, you would have received your claim very quickly."

Losing patience, I requested the inspector to intimate me when the file was sent to the court. He obliged. The Judge, looking at my grey hair, didn't ask any question. The theft and non-recovery of vehicle had been finally confirmed by a magistrate. Elated, I thought I had won the battle of the stolen vehicle.

Just two days after receiving the claim cheque for a paltry sum, I got a call from the police crime branch that my scooter had been recovered and the culprit was in jail. They told me to visit them to identify the vehicle and intimate the insurance company.

Now, I know why every police station has become a junkyard of hundreds of vehicles; people must be wondering whether pursuing an insurance claim is worth the effort.

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