Relief for woman after jewellery worth ₹47 lakh disappeared from Union Bank locker

Ms. Marwah, a resident of Delhi, has been granted relief by the Consumer Commission following gross negligence by the Union Bank of India. Jewellery valued at approximately ₹47 lakh had disappeared from her bank locker, for which she had sought compensation.

According to a report by The Economic Times, Ms. Marwah held a joint locker with her father-in-law at the Union Bank of India since 1998. In 2005, this locker was being operated by her father-in-law. Her father-in-law passed away on 29.08.2010, yet the bank continued to collect the annual rent for the locker until 2013.

Further details of the incident reveal that when Ms. Marwah visited the bank on 01.09.2018 to use the locker and retrieve the items kept therein, she received shocking information. The bank informed her that the locker had been surrendered on 22.01.2015, although it had not been surrendered to the bank. Throughout this process, the bank did not inform the woman about the surrender of the locker and instead continued to collect the annual rent.

After losing her precious jewellery, Ms. Marwah approached the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. She demanded compensation for the jewellery worth ₹47 lakh before the Commission, along with 18% interest. Additionally, she claimed a further ₹1.5 lakh for legal expenses and mental harassment.

In this case, the bank's negligence has come to light, as the locker was surrendered on one hand while rent was being collected from the customer on the other, and the precious items kept in the locker disappeared. This incident has raised questions regarding locker security and administrative transparency in the banking sector.