The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum directed the manager of a bank to pay a customer compensation for refusing to investigate into his complaint.

The manager of State Bank of India (SBI), Jalahalli, has been asked to pay a sum of Rs 5,000 as compensation and Rs 2,000 for the hardship and mental agony their account holder underwent. The customer, a resident of Kashiramnagar, Vidyaranyapura Post, tried to lodge a customer complaint with the bank stating that an amount of Rs 15,000 was withdrawn from his account without his knowledge from an ATM in Thane.

The complainant had received a message on his mobile phone stating that an amount of Rs 15,000 was withdrawn from an ATM in Thane, a place he never visited. He visited the bank to lodge a complaint but the executive at the counter asked him to block his ATM card and refused to accept the request for investigation unless an FIR was filed. The bank official also said that there will be a fee charged for the investigation of CCTV footage where that amount was withdrawn.

The complainant filed a case under the Consumer Protection Act 1986, seeking directions from the consumer forum to refund the amount withdrawn along with a compensation.

Not justified

The forum passed an order stating that in the absence of any provision or rules the bank cannot ask the complainant to produce an FIR. It said that it was not justified for the bank to refuse to look into the matter and stated that the conduct of the bank amounts to deficiency of service under Section 2(1)(g) of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

The forum, on July 30, directed the bank to refund the withdrawn amount within a month.