ICICI fined Rs 25,000 for wrongly deducting customer's account

ICICI Bank has been asked to pay a fine and return the amount deducted from a customer.

A Rs 25,000 fine has been slapped on the bank by a Delhi district consumer forum for wrongly deducting Rs 40,578 from the account of one of its customers.

 

A Central Delhi resident Mahesh Kumar , who was having an  got the shock of his life after discovered on July 11, 2007 that a sum of Rs 40,578 out of over Rs 49,000 he had atchis ICICI bank account at its Gurgaon branch having over Rs 49,000, had suddenly vanished.

The amount was deducted against a payment made through an ICICI Bank credit card of one Mahesh Kumar, who though, was the namesake of salary account holder Mahesh Kumar, but had different details like father’s name and residential address.

Kumar told the bank officials that he did not even own a ICICI Bank credit card, yet the bank has not bothered to credit the deducted money to his account till date.

“The official of the bank had come to know on or about July 11, 2009 that mistake had been committed by debiting Rs 40,578.74 from the salary account of the complainant. Since then, more than 2 years have passed yet the remedial measures have not been taken,” said the bench of district consumer forum.

“The act of the bank caused financial losses to the complainant (Kumar). The amount of Rs 40,578.74 could have been used by him as per his wishes since June 29, 2009 till date. He could not do so because of the negligence on the part of the officials of the bank,” the bench said.

It also said the bank could have deducted the amount from Kumar’s account only if any amount was due from him.

“Since, the debited amount was not due from Kumar, therefore, the bank caused breach in the trust of Kumar. It amounts to negligence and deficiency in service,” the bench said.