Summary: On February 26, 2026, the Madras High Court dismissed SBI Life Insurance's request because they were 537 days late in filing it. The court was not impressed with the reasons given for the delay, stressing that everyone, including government bodies, must follow deadlines.
The case involved SBI Life Insurance Company Limited, based in Navi Mumbai, challenging a decision made by the Insurance Ombudsman in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The original decision was dated June 14, 2024, and SBI Life took 537 days to file an appeal. This delay was not acceptable according to the law.
SBI Life Insurance said that internal discussions, changes in staff, and lost files were to blame. They said:
“The delay is thus entirely unintentional and caused by a mix of procedural, administrative, and situational factors beyond our control.”
However, the court didn't accept this explanation. They believed the reasons were more about carelessness than unavoidable problems.
The judges, including Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan, made it clear: the rules about time limits apply to everyone. They mentioned earlier Supreme Court decisions that said delays must have a good reason, not just convenient excuses.
“Excusing a delay is an exception and should not be expected as a usual benefit for government departments.”
The court referred to several past cases where similar excuses were not accepted. The message was clear: being a big company or a government body doesn't mean you can ignore deadlines.
The court rejected SBI Life Insurance's request to excuse the delay, stating that no good reason was shown. They even suggested that SBI Life could consider taking action against the officials responsible for the delay.
