RBI slaps Rs 27-crore penalty on 13 banks

Mumbai, July 27 

In a major crackdown for FEMA violations and KYC lapses, the RBI has imposed Rs 27-crore penalty on 13 public and private sector banks, including PNB and HDFC Bank, while asking eight others including SBI and ICICI Bank to ensure strict compliance with guidelines.

On the basis of inputs received from a public sector bank, the RBI had undertaken a scrutiny on advance import remittances in 21 banks in October and November 2015.

In a statement issued today, the RBI said it has imposed monetary penalty on 13 banks for "violation of regulatory directions/ instructions/guidelines, among other things, on KYC norms".

These banks are: Bank of Baroda (Rs 5 crore), Punjab National Bank (Rs 3 crore), Syndicate Bank (Rs 3 crore), UCO Bank (Rs 2 crore), HDFC Bank (Rs 2 crore), Allahabad Bank (Rs 2 crore), Canara Bank (Rs 2 crore), IndusInd Bank (Rs 2crore), SBBJ (Rs 2 crore), Bank of India (Rs 1 crore), Corporation Bank (Rs 1 crore), RBL Bank (Rs 1 crore) and SBM (Rs 1 crore).

The RBI further said that eight other banks — Axis Bank, Federal Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, OBC, Standard Chartered Bank, SBI and Union Bank of India — have been "advised to put in place appropriate measures and review them from time to time to ensure strict compliance with KYC requirements and FEMA provisions on an ongoing basis". — PTI