Asked to pay cleared bill, Mumbai resident to get ₹2L compensation from bank

The State Consumer-Disputes Redressal Commission was hearing an appeal, filed by Dr Vinod Bhalla and directed a bank to pay a fine of ₹2 lakh and compensation of ₹60,000 to him for wrongly charging interest of ₹2.17 lakh on a credit card bill of ₹5,640 from 2003 to 2012.

The State Consumer-Disputes Redressal Commission has directed a bank to pay a fine of ₹2 lakh and compensation of ₹60,000 to a Malad resident for wrongly charging interest of ₹2.17 lakh on a credit card bill of ₹5,640 from 2003 to 2012.

The State Consumer-Disputes Redressal Commission was hearing an appeal against the order of District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, south Mumbai. (REUTERS)

The commission was hearing an appeal, filed by Dr Vinod Bhalla, against the order of District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, south Mumbai. In his complaint, Bhalla alleged in January 2003, the bank raised a bill of Rs5,640, which he paid on January 18. The complainant said the amount was debited from his account on February 2. Ten years later, in April 2012, Bhalla claimed he got a letter from the bank, informing him that his credit limit was lowered.

When he asked the bank to resolve the issue, he was asked to pay the outstanding amount, adding up to ₹1.74 lakh with interest. By the end of 2012, his outstanding amount with the bank rose to ₹2.17 lakh.