Amritsar: NRI accuses pvt bank of harassment

Amritsar, May 15

An Australia-based NRI has accused a reputed private bank near Custom Chowk on Mall Road for allegedly liquidating his fixed deposit worth Rs 1.65 crores in a fraudulent manner and harassment.

Mahalovya Gauba, a resident of Basant Avenue here, has lodged a complaint with the local police which marked a probe of the Economic Offence Wing besides approaching Reserve Bank of India seeking justice in this regard.

Gauba expressed his dejection at the attitude of the bank authorities. He said on the one hand Punjab government is luring businessmen to invest in the state, on the other NRIs like him are facing harassment at the hands of the banks.

“I’m a doctorate from IIT-Delhi, I visited around 12 countries and remained professor at Korea, but I preferred to shift my base in Amritsar and start a business here. I think that was my fault. I am now facing harassment and lost my money,” he rued.

In a press conference here on Sunday he told that his office was located on Mall Road. He said he had opened his FD account worth Rs 1.65 crores on June 2021 which was to be matured on September 2022. He had taken a loan against this FD.

He said though he paid the interest on regular intervals, he suddenly found his FD vanished on March 1. He said he immediately approached the bank authorities and shocked to know that his FD was liquidated by the bank without informing him.

He said the bank authorities told that due to failure of paying interest, they have informed about liquidation process through a communication which was couriered and delivered to him.

They told that I had not paid interest due on November 1, 2021 till February 4, 2022. Debunking their claims, he said while showing account details, the same was paid on November 11, 2021.

The bank also said that a communication (about liquidation process) was delivered on January 14, one month prior liquidation through a courier to him. However, he said, he himself collected the same from courier company on April 9, 2022.

“It is rather intriguing that the complainant, who has been a premium customer since 2018 is being subjected to such harassment and pain, considering he is a senior citizen,” he pointed out.