IDBI Bank told to pay compensation
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, January 11
The district Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed IDBI Bank to pay a compensation of Rs 2,000 to a local resident and HDFC Bank to pay litigation expenses of Rs 1,000 to the same person for causing harassment to him in a two-wheeler loan case.
Earlier Kawaljit Singh, a Chehharta resident, had filed a complaint stating that he had a savings account with IDBI Bank.
He said he obtained a two-wheeler loan from HDFC Bank. EMI of Rs 1,580 per month was supposed to be deducted against the loan from his IDBI Bank account.
He alleged that in July 2014, the IDBI dishonoured the EMI payment of Rs 1,580 towards HDFC Bank, stating “insufficient funds” as the reason.
The complainant alleged that though he had sufficient funds in his account, HDFC Bank, due to the deficiency on part of IDBI Bank, charged Rs 463 as EMI dishonoured charge.
The complainant said he brought the matter to the notice of IDBI Bank officials and was assured that the charges would be reversed to his account.
The complainant further alleged that the entire two-wheeler loan was paid to HDFC Bank on June 5, 2015.
He said when he demanded a no due certificate from the bank, he was informed that Rs 463 EMI dishonoured charge were still overdue in his account.
The IDBI Bank in its reply stated that the complaint pertains to a trivial money matter involving a refund of charges of Rs 463 and that too at present stand refunded on August 13, 2015.
The HDFC Bank in its reply stated that the bank was legally entitled to claim cheque bouncing charges as well as late payment charges on account of default in depositing the loan EMI on time.
The bank stated that Rs 463 were due but they have waived off the charges during the pendency of the case.
The forum observed that IDBI Bank had dishonoured the EMI payment even though 92 paisa were still in his account after deducting the EMI amount on the representation made by the complainant after dishonouring the request on first instance.
It stated that the plea of the bank that all this happened due to some system problem was not tenable as the complainant became a ‘defaulter’ of HDFC Bank.
The forum observed that HDFC Bank too had decided to issue the NOC only after the complaint had been filed.
It stated that IDBI Bank could not wriggle out from the deficiency on their part only by saying that the present complaint pertains to a petty trivial money matter because this act had damaged the reputation of the complainant with the bank that gave him loan.
