Denied a bank account, acid attack survivor reaches out to Shah Rukh Khan: 'Just because I can’t blink for KYC process'

An acid attack survivor has asked Shah Rukh Khan to help her as she tweeted about being denied a bank account because she could not complete the KYC process.

After an acid attack survivor was denied a new bank account because she 'can't blink', she sought the help of actor Shah Rukh Khan and his NGO. On Wednesday, she tweeted her ordeal and said it was 'unjust' that she could not open an account after a KYC machine could not scan her complete biometric details because of her inability to blink. Shah Rukh is yet to respond to her request.

Shah Rukh Khan greets fans at his residence Mannat in Mumbai on June 10, 2023. (File Photo: AFP)

Acid attack survivor's tweet

Pragya Prasun said in a statement, "It's my right too to be able to open a bank account." Tagging Shah Rukh and his Meer Foundation, a philanthropic foundation named after Shah Rukh’s late father Meer Taj Mohammed Khan that works towards rehabilitating acid attack survivors and also funds corrective surgeries, Pragya tweeted, "Being an acid attack survivor should not prohibit me from living a life with dignity."

She further said in her tweet, "It's unjust that I was denied a bank account just because I can’t blink for the KYC process. Requesting @iamsrk @MeerFoundation to help me make this world inclusive for all acid attack survivors." She added the hashtag 'I won't blink' to her tweet.

Challenges faced in opening bank accounts

As one of many changemakers of Nguvu Collective, which seeks to bring about social change, Pragya has also filed an online petition highlighting the plight of acid attack survivors like her, who are denied access to important services such as opening a bank account just because the facial recognition software has its limitations.

Pragya drew attention in her petition to the challenges faced by hundreds of thousands of people with facial disfigurements or eye problems that prevent them from being able to blink their eyes. This, she pointed out, should not deny them economic equity and the right to open a bank account in their own name.

She wrote, "I was denied the opportunity to open a new bank account in ICICI Bank due to a new requirement for a video or live photo of the account holder blinking their eyes. As a survivor of an acid attack, I am unable to blink, which has resulted in my inability to access this service. I understand that this new rule has been put in place to streamline the account opening process and make it easier for customers. However, for those of us who cannot blink our eyes, this rule is an insurmountable obstacle that prevents us from accessing basic financial services."

She also urged the CEO of ICICI Bank to reconsider this policy and provide easy and swift alternative methods for individuals, who cannot blink their eyes to open a bank account.

Shah Rukh's Meer Foundation

Earlier this year, Shah Rukh Khan had visited Kolkata for his team Kolkata Knight Riders' Indian Premier League (IPL) match and met a few acid attack survivors working with his Meer Foundation. Pictures from their meeting were widely shared online by fan.

Recently, the foundation had helped a Delhi woman's family. Meer Foundation’s statement at the time had read, “Shah Rukh Khan’s Meer Foundation donates an undisclosed amount to the family of Anjali Singh. Anjali, a 20 year old, lost her life in a brutal hit and run that took place in Delhi’s, Kanjhawala. Anjali was the sole breadwinner of the family consisting of her mother and siblings. The aid by Meer foundation aims to help the family, especially the mother with her health issues while providing adequate relief to Anjali’s siblings.”