Rajkot: SBI ordered to return ₹1.59 lakh to 68-year-old customer

The Rajkot District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has issued an important order telling the State Bank of India (SBI) to return ₹1,59,999 to a 68-year-old customer. This matter came to light when money was withdrawn multiple times from a senior citizen's savings account without his knowledge through the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS). The customer clarified that he had never activated his ATM card and did not use digital banking either, yet a large amount went missing from his account.

According to a report by The Economic Times, the bank's negligence has come to the fore in this incident. The customer complained that despite not using any digital medium for banking transactions, how this amount was withdrawn from his account is a big question. The Consumer Protection Commission took serious note of this entire matter. The Commission has directed the bank not only to return the original amount of ₹1,59,999 to the customer but also to pay a 9 percent annual interest on it. In addition, the bank has been ordered to pay a further ₹10,000 towards the cost of legal proceedings.

The most important thing in this case is that the customer had neither used nor activated the ATM card. Despite this, transactions made through AePS (Aadhaar Enabled Payment System) have raised several questions on the bank's security system. However, in this case, money was withdrawn without the customer's consent or knowledge, which indicates a serious flaw in cyber security.

Following the complaint made by the customer, the Commission held the bank responsible. According to consumer protection rules, if an unauthorized transaction takes place from a customer's account due to some flaw in the bank's system, the responsibility lies with the bank. In this case, the customer had not shown any kind of negligence, yet he had to suffer financial loss. The court has ordered the bank to return this amount to the customer within the stipulated time limit. This order is considered very important from the perspective of consumer protection, as it encourages banks to make their digital security systems stronger.

This bank provides various types of banking services to lakhs of customers. With the increasing use of technology in the banking sector, security risks have also increased. SBI has previously remained in discussions regarding customer complaints and security issues. This incident once again proves how imperative it is to follow security standards in banking transactions. Customers should also remain vigilant for the security of their bank accounts and immediately inform the bank if any suspicious transaction is noticed.

This verdict has brought major relief to those customers who are unaware of the complex rules of digital banking and whose money gets withdrawn from their accounts due to security flaws. This decision of the Rajkot consumer court serves as a warning to banks that they are responsible for the safety of customers' money and will have to pay compensation for any kind of negligence. Keeping in view the mental and financial hardships faced by the customer during this entire process, the court has ordered compensation along with interest and legal costs.