Kept valuables in a bank locker, then be careful about security!
By: Paromita Ghosh
Last Update: 2021-02-19 00:24:12 IST
The Supreme Court has said in one of its important decisions that it is the responsibility of banks to take necessary precautions in the safety and operation of the locker. Banks cannot lose their responsibility. The apex court issued these instructions for the banks ...
The Supreme Court has said in one of its important decisions that it is the responsibility of banks to take necessary precautions in the safety and operation of the locker. Banks cannot lose their responsibility. The customer takes the locker facility in the bank to ensure that his property and things are kept safe there. Lacking the responsibility of banks will not only violate the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, but will also break investor confidence.
The Supreme Court has ordered the Reserve Bank of India to issue appropriate regulations regarding locker facility or safe heritage management within six months. The court has made it clear that banks should not be allowed to set unilateral rules in this regard. Along with this, the court has issued guidelines for banks regarding bank locker management. Banks will have to follow the guidelines of the Supreme Court till the RBI rules are issued.
The decision was pronounced by a bench of Justices MM Shantanagoudar and Vineet Saran on Friday on a petition filed by Amitabh Dasgupta, a client against United Bank of India. The Supreme Court has ordered the United Bank of India to pay damages of five lakh rupees and one lakh rupees of litigation costs to the petitioner, holding him responsible for the deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection Act.
Amitabh Dasgupta had accused the bank that despite paying the locker rent, the bank broke the locker without informing him on the basis of not paying the rent on time. He was not even informed of breaking the locker. When he went to the bank to operate the locker after about a year, he came to know about it and the bank did not return his seven jewelery kept in the locker. Returned only two ornaments.
