BENGALURU: An eight-year-old student from the city moved the consumer forum against Lakshmi Vilas Bank and got it fined for deducting Rs 81 from his account. The forum imposed a penalty of Rs 6,000, including Rs 1,000 compensation and Rs 5,000 litigation cost.
Acting on the complaint of MK Shreyas, 8, son of Mahesh Kumar, resident of Jalahalli, the consumer forum directed the Jalahalli Branch of Lakshmi Vilas Bank to pay the compensation. The Bangalore Urban II Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum passed this order for deducting Rs 81 though the complainant maintained minimum balance amount in his savings bank account.
The forum comprising president T Shobhadevi and member V Anuradha said that the bank claimed that they informed the complainant about the minimum balance via SMS but it had not produced any such document in support of its claim. Therefore deducting the amount is unlawful. The complainant has proved deficiency in service on part of the bank. Therefore, the bank is directed to reverse the amount of Rs 81 deducted from the account of the complainant along with the compensation of Rs 1,000. According to the order, Shreyas, studying at St Clarets School was asked to open an account at Lakshmi Vilas Bank for scholarships. A joint savings bank account was opened by Shreyas and his father and Rs 1,000 was deposited on September 22, 2016, which is the minimum balance that needs to be maintained by the account holder.
On April 1, 2017, without intimating Shreyas, the bank deducted Rs 114 from his account, saying that the minimum balance was not maintained. Again on July 2, 2017, Rs 371 penalty was deducted towards minimum balance penalty.
When they visited the bank, the manager informed them that the minimum balance increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000, and that all customers were intimated the change through SMS. But the complainant did not receive a single SMS about it, even though the bank deducted the SMS charge every month. The same was brought to the notice of the manager who failed to sort out the issue. After the notice was issued on July 2017, the bank reversed the deducted penalty.
Thereafter, the complainant deposited Rs 2,000 on August 1, 2017 and Rs 3,000 on September 29, 2017 to avoid the penalty towards minimum balance. However, the bank once again deducted Rs 79 on October 1 and Rs 2 on October 4, 2017 towards the minimum balance penalty. Hence, the complainant moved the forum against bank on the charges of negligence.