BENGALURU: A Consumer Commission directed Standard Chartered bank to pay Rs 2 lakh compensation with 8 per cent interest per annum and Rs 10,000 litigation expenses to a 75-year-old lawyer, practising at Madras High Court for calling over 58 times in more than four months through its collection agents via phone and sending messages to clear dues, though he paid before the due date.
The Bangalore Urban Second Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission passed the order to the bank, Rajaji Salai, Madras, to pay compensation and litigation expenses to Loganathan Jayakumar, residing at Koramangala, as it has not challenged the complaint by remaining absent though notice was served.
Loganathan, a credit card holder of the bank, who has been using it for nearly 25 years, went in person to the bank and paid full dues of Rs 31,271 in January 2022 by cheque after he received a statement in respect to a certain transaction.
However, a few days later the bank started sending messages and making phone calls continuously asking him to pay the due money, stating that he would be facing legal actions if he failed to remit the amount. As the bank kept on threatening him more than 26 times from February 8 to 19, 2022, he was forced to approach the commission for mental agony and harassment.
Partly allowing the complaint filed by Loganathan, the consumer commission said that the documents clearly disclosed that the bank has informed Loganathan that they regret the inconvenience caused to him (complainant), but it has not taken action till June 7, 2022, even though Loganathan was filing complaints from February 2022.
"The bank would have given direction to the concerned branch or section to stop calling the complainant in view of the payment made by him. Instead of this, they have made the life of the complainant miserable. Hence the bank has committed a deficiency in service on their part. They have caused mental agony, torture and harassment to the complainant who is a senior citizen," the commission said, directing them to pay the compensation.