BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 20th March 2025: In a significant legal victory, a consumer court in Tripura has directed a bank to pay ₹15,000 in compensation to a customer for unauthorized deductions from his account.
Dr. Paresh Chandra Modak, a resident of Dharmanagar and proprietor of Modak Homeo Clinic, opened a savings account with Tripura Gramin Bank in January 2001. According to Dr. Modak, the bank unlawfully deducted ₹120 from his account in 2022 and 2023, violating Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulations.
Dr. Modak sought clarification from the bank, submitting an application to the General Manager of Tripura Gramin Bank on November 9, 2023. He cited RBI guidelines under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, which prohibit such charges without prior notice of at least one month. Despite his complaint, the bank failed to provide a satisfactory response.
In a subsequent communication on November 24, 2023, the Dharmanagar branch manager claimed that the deductions were due to a new policy requiring a minimum balance, effective from November 7, 2022. However, records showed that the deductions were made earlier in September 2022, clearly rendering them illegal.
Determined to seek justice, Dr. Modak filed a case (Case No. CC/21/2023) against the bank at the Unakoti District Consumer Protection Court on December 19, 2023. Remarkably, he chose to represent himself in court without legal counsel, demanding ₹20,000 in compensation for the financial loss, legal expenses, and mental agony caused by the bank’s actions.
On March 11, 2025, the court, comprising a district judge and two commission members, ruled in favor of Dr. Modak. It ordered the bank to pay ₹15,000 in compensation within two months, failing which the amount would accrue interest at 9% per day.
Speaking after the judgment, Dr. Modak urged customers to remain vigilant about their bank transactions and adhere to RBI notifications. “This will ensure that no one else falls victim to such injustices in the future,” he said.
