SBI misreads Kannada numeral on cheque, dishonours it; fined ₹85,000

The SBI branch in Haliyal wrongly identified the Kannada numeral nine as six and, therefore, dishonoured the cheque.

Published on: Sep 8, 2022, 15:00:31 IST

PTIPosted by Yamini C S

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A State Bank of India branch has been fined ₹85,177 by the Dharwad District Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum for dishonouring a cheque after failing to properly recognise a Kannada numeral on it.

The numeral nine indicated the month of September, but the bank read it as June. (Reuters file photo)

Vadirajacharya Inamdar issued an SBI cheque for ₹6,000 to Hubli Electricity Supply Company Limited (HESCOM) towards his electricity bill on September 3, 2020. HESCOM had its account in Canara Bank and therefore the cheque was sent to the SBI branch at Haliyal in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka for clearance.

The cheque was filled in Kannada including the numerals. The SBI branch in Haliyal wrongly identified the Kannada numeral nine as six and, therefore, dishonoured the cheque. The numeral nine indicated the month of September, but the bank read it as June.

Inamdar, an English lecturer in the Government PU College in Hubballi, approached the Consumer Forum with his complaint. On Wednesday, the Forum consisting of President Ishappa Bhute and members V A Bolishetti and P C Hiremath found the SBI deficient in its service and imposed the cost.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More