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Recent Case Studies

Jewellery missing from tampered locker

The bank by providing locker provides service to its consumers to keep its ornaments etc safely in the locker of the bank. It is provided on payment of locker charges. If the locker Manager fails to discharge his duty to ensure safety of the locker room and lockers containing articles and valuable kept therein then the locker Manager and the concerned bank cannot be absolved until and unless a robbery or dacoity takes place at gun point by breaking open the locker.

In a complaint by Agnes D’ Mello, Karnataka State Commission directed Canara Bank to pay a sum of Rs 1,12, 500/- for the loss of ornaments kept in the locker of the bank with interest @ 18 % p.a., from 8-8-1987 till its payment. But the bank preferred an appeal before the National Commission against the said order on the ground that the complainant was not a consumer, the claim was barred by time, there was no deficiency in service and lastly the interest awarded by the State Commission was on very high side.

After considering the evidence and facts the National Commission held that the very nature of the locker room and the attendant of the Manager to lock the master key would indicate that bank is a service provider and the complainant was availing the service rendered by the bank. A person who hires locker is supposed to keep some valuables. There was no reason to disbelieve the complainant for it was found opened nearly two months after it was locked. Partly allowing the appeal the National Commission reduced the interest from 18 % to 12 % p.a .

(Canara Bank Vs Agnes D Mello 1 ( 2006) CPJ 8 ( NC) )

“Voice Meeting in RBI , New Delhi ”

In order to high light the consumers concerns about the banks apathy to resolve the grievances, a meeting has been held with Dy General Manager ( Ms. Shinjini),RBI, New Delhi. Emphasis was laid on setting up three tier grievances redressal mechanism i.e. Call center, Supervision and Senior level so that the consumer grievance are resolved amicably as far as possible. However if the consumer is unsatisfied he has the option of going to the Banking Ombudsman of proper jurisdiction and the Consumer Fora as a last resort. DGM advised us that the consumers should in the first instance lodge complaint with the concerned bank and if there is no response within a reasonable period, he can report the mater to the respective Regional office of RBI for taking action in the complaint. By way of caution the consumer should carefully go through all the contents of any document of the bank and keep a copy with him for future reference.

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