Chandigarh, Feb. 11 -- "It has become a common practice for insurance companies to show all kinds of green pastures to the customers at the time of selling policies, but when it comes to payment of claims, they invent all sorts of excuses to deny them," observed the consumer court while delivering a stinging rebuke to Aditya Birla Health Insurance on Monday.

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-2, Chandigarh, in a scathing order, directed Aditya Birla Health Insurance to reimburse the medical expenses incurred by the insured, Sanjeev Rana, and also pay Rs.15,000 as compensation for mental harassment and litigation costs.

Rana, a resident of Sector 38 West, Dadumajra, had purchased a health insurance policy called Active A...