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Himachal Consumer Commission Orders Banks to Refund Rs 20 Lakh

Himachal Consumer Commission Orders Banks to Refund Rs 20 Lakh
Rs 20L sent to closed loan account; consumer panel slams banks for ‘ping-pong blame game’ · financialexpress.com

A woman tried to send Rs 20 lakh to her husband, but a mistake sent it to his old loan account, which was already closed.

She quickly told the bank that held the account and asked for the money back.

That bank told her to contact her own bank, and her bank said the other bank had to handle the reversal.

The money stayed stuck for more than two months.

Her husband took another loan by pledging shares to get money for immediate needs.

The woman asked a consumer commission to help.

The commission said both banks had failed to handle the problem properly and ordered them to return the money.

It also ordered compensation with interest and payment of her litigation costs.

The banks had not filed replies within 45 days, so her evidence remained unanswered.

Key facts

Amount transferred
Rs 20 lakh
Destination
The husband’s settled and closed personal loan account at another private bank
Funds blocked
More than two months
Beneficiary bank notified
April 2
Alternative loan
The husband pledged shares and took another loan on April 24
Payments ordered
Rs 12,500 and Rs 7,500, each with applicable interest
Litigation costs
Rs 10,000, payable jointly and severally by both banks
Reply deadline
45 days from service of notice; the banks’ replies were not taken on record

Quotes

State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Himachal Pradesh

The state consumer commission adjudicating the woman’s complaint against the banks.

“The ping-pong blame game trapped the consumer in an administrative loop. Holding funds in a closed loan account despite clear, immediate written notices from both the remitter and the account holder constitutes a gross operational default and a clear deficiency in service.”
indianexpress.com financialexpress.com

Sources

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