NAGERCOIL: The Kanyakumari District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed a private bank to pay Rs 4,000 as compensation to a customer who was fined for not maintaining minimum balance in his account.
To be noted, J Muthu Raj of Paathal Vilai from Cape Road in Nagercoil opened a savings bank (SB) account with a private bank branch located opposite the Duthie Girls Higher Secondary School on April 27, 2011, and deposited a cheque worth Rs 1,22,742, which he got from LIC. After some days he withdrew Rs 1,15,000 leaving behind a balance of Rs 7,742.
Meanwhile, in 2013, he received a letter from the bank and when he enquired he was shocked when told that an amount was deducted from his account because he had failed to maintain the minimum balance of Rs 10,000. He was left with Rs 3,862.93 in his account.
An aggrieved Muthu Raj approached the Kanyakumari Jilla Consumer Protection Centre president M Thomas, who contended that maintaining Rs 10,000 as minimum balance or having a transaction of Rs 40,000 everyday should have been told to him at the time of opening the account. DCDRF president R Narayanasamy and member S Sivalingam in their judgment on November 4, 2015 directed the bank to close Muthu Raj’s account and pay the amount with interest as per the savings bank rules without affecting his financial interest.