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Earlier this year, tragedy struck our family when my younger brother, abdul arafat mohammedDisappeared from Cleveland, Ohio.
Arfath, who came to the US from Hyderabad to pursue his studies at Cleveland State University, was reported missing on March 7, 2024. As his older cousin lived in Washington, DC, I had promised my uncle Mohammed Salim that I would stay. To provide support and guidance to Arafat when he was pursuing his dreams in a foreign land.
Arafat was my uncle’s only son, and he had high aspirations for his future. He was someone who looked up to me as a talented young man with dreams of achieving great things.
Despite tireless efforts by our family, Cleveland Police and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), there has been no information regarding his whereabouts. The devastating news came a month later when we were informed on April 9 that Arfath’s body had been found in Lake Erie in Cleveland, a tragic end to our search.
After extensive paperwork and coordination with the Indian Embassy, Arfath’s remains were finally brought back to India for his cremation. I was at the center of this entire process, liaising with the authorities, the FBI and embassy officials, who offered us every kind of assistance in our suffering. But for my uncle Mohammad Salim, the loss was beyond measure. He had lost his only son, without any clear answer as to why he did so.
After the burial, I continued to contact the authorities for details about the circumstances of Arafat’s death.
About two months later, I received the Cleveland coroner’s report, which listed the cause of death as “drowning,” adding “by undetermined manner.”
That is to say, there was no conclusion as to how this tragic event occurred – whether it was an accident, a mistake, or something more sinister. There was no CCTV surveillance in the area where his body was found, and no witnesses could provide any information. This left our family with only more questions and pain.
I also recently contacted Cleveland Police to see if there was any further development in the case, but the investigating officer told me that the case has been “officially closed” from their end.
An insurance conundrum that made matters worse
Subsequently, we learned that Arfath had taken a student loan for his education in the US, for which he had a life insurance policy from Bajaj Allianz, which was secured as a condition of taking a loan from Avanse Bank for his education. Was done. With the hope that this insurance policy could at least ease the financial burden on his grieving parents, we reached out to Bajaj Allianz to initiate a claim.
This marked the beginning of what would become a harrowing and painful journey. Bajaj Allianz subjected us to an extended claims process with countless follow-ups and long delays. After several months, they finally responded, requesting additional documentation, which we promptly provided.
Then, on November 8, we received a registered letter from Bajaj Allianz informing us that the claim could not be processed, citing “suicide” as the reason for denial. It is important to note that no police investigation to date has indicated suicide; There was no suicide note or any behavioral indicators to suggest such a reason. This baseless conclusion of Bajaj Allianz has added to the grief of our already devastated family.
This policy was to cover Rs 40,75,334To provide necessary financial relief to their family to repay the loan. Instead, Bajaj Allianz is citing a clause in the policy terms which, in case of suicide, will refund only a part of the premium paid – Rs 9,233 – Effectively denying the entire claim.
,The Quint Bajaj Allianz has been contacted several times to find out the reason for the conclusion of ‘suicide’ in Arfath’s case, but has not received any response yet. This story will be updated whenever they respond.)
To further complicate the situation, the letter denying our claim was written on October 7, yet we only received it by mail on November 8. The postal receipt clearly shows that the letter was sent on November 4, suggesting a deliberate delay by Bajaj Allianz. The letter mentioned a period of 30 days to protest the decision, but due to this delay, we were left with no time to respond.
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The postage date written on the letter is 8 November 2024. But the letter was filed on 7 October 2024 (next image).
(Photo: Ahmed Mohammed)
,The Quint Has also tried to find out the reason for the delay in sending the letter from Bajaj Allianz. This story will be updated whenever they respond.)
My uncle, Arafat’s father, is a civil contractor in Hyderabad, and his wife is a housewife. They are not a rich family; He had high expectations from Arafat and took great pains to send him abroad to study. If they do not get the full insurance amount then I do not think they will be able to repay the loan. If things get to this point, they may have to sell all their property.
I am sharing this painful experience to raise awareness among families and students wishing to study abroad. Insurance companies like Bajaj Allianz are quick to collect huge premiums but are often unresponsive and evasive when it comes to delivering on their promises. In our darkest hour, instead of supporting a grieving family, they decided to reject our legitimate claim on dubious grounds, further increasing our distress.
This is a call for accountability. Bajaj Allianz and similar companies should know that they cannot take their customers lightly. If they do not meet their obligations, why should we buy their policies? Why should anyone trust them? And aren’t they accountable to the authorities for fulfilling their legal responsibilities and doing what is right?
(All ‘My Report’ branded stories are presented by citizen journalists The QuintAlthough The Quint Investigates claims/allegations from all parties before publishing, The report and views expressed above are those of Citizen Journalist. The Quint Neither endorses nor is responsible for it.)
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