Rajkot: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Rajkot, has ordered the State Bank of India (SBI) to refund Rs 1.59 lakh along with 9% interest to a senior citizen account holder following unauthorized withdrawals from his savings account, holding the bank liable for deficiency in service and delay.The complainant, Dilip Chatwani (68), a resident of Rajkot, held a savings account at SBI’s Amin Marg Branch. According to Chatwani, he had never activated or used his ATM card, nor had he subscribed to online or mobile banking services. He conducted transactions solely through cheques.Despite these safeguards, a total of Rs 1,59,999 was siphoned from his account between September 17 and September 25, 2023, via multiple AePS (Aadhaar Enabled Payment System) transactions without his knowledge, consent, or OTP sharing.Upon noticing the deductions, Chatwani immediately alerted the bank branch in writing on September 26, 2023, and lodged a complaint with the cyber crime cell the same day. While the cyber cell’s inquiries pointed to transactions authorized by bank official personnel,“A bench comprising commission president P C Raval and member M S Bhatt ruled in favor of the consumer, observing that the bank’s defense and conduct demonstrated clear deficiency and delay in service. Citing Supreme Court precedents on compensation for deprivation of legitimate funds, the commission underscored that consumers deprived of their money due to service deficiencies are entitled to be made whole with interest. “ said advocate Chirag Chhag who represented Chatwani.The commission directed SBI to credit the entire disputed amount of Rs 1.59 lakh along with 9% interest per annum—calculated from the complaint filing date until payment—directly to Chatwani’s savings account. The bank was further ordered to pay Rs 10,000 toward litigation expenses.
