The Hindu : New Delhi News : Bank fined for false bills on debit card purchase

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Wednesday, Oct 03, 2007
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New Delhi

Bank fined for false bills on debit card purchase

New Delhi: ICICI Bank has been asked by the Delhi Consumer Commission to pay over Rs.85,000 to an Army officer for raising false bills against purchases made through his debit card, which he in fact never possessed.

“Appellant (ICICI Bank) has committed grossest kind of deficiency in service in raising false bills without proving delivery of the card,” observed Commission’s President Justice J. D. Kapoor dismissing the appeal of the bank.

Slamming the bank for debiting over Rs.45,000 to the account of Lt Colonel Rajesh Yadav towards purchases made through his debit card, Mr. Justice Kapoor in his order said, “If the service provider fails to prove the delivery of the card upon the consumer, it has to face the consequences”.

The Commission was hearing the appeal by ICICI Bank against a Consumer Forum’s order which in April had directed the bank to remit back the amount erroneously debited by it to Col. Yadav’s account and slapped on it a fine of Rs. 40,000 for “deficiency in service”.

According to the complaint, Col. Yadav, who was posted in Jammu and Kashmir at the time, was taken aback whenr he received a bill of over Rs.45,000 in September, 2005, for purchases made through debit card while he waited for the card to come at his doorstep.

The army officer had to make several trips to the Capital from J&K and visited the ICICI Bank office for redressal of his grievances but to no avail and he subsequently filed a consumer case against the bank.

In its appeal, the bank tried to shrug off the responsibility saying the card was duly received by Col. Yadav’s mother and hence it could not be held to be at fault.- PTI

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