In a landmark judgment that serves as a warning to negligent banks, a consumer forum has ordered a bank to pay ₹3.28 lakh to a customer who originally lost just ₹10,000 in a failed ATM transaction. This extraordinary case from Surat proves that persistence pays off when fighting for consumer rights.

The ordeal began on February 18, 2017, when a Surat resident attempted to withdraw ₹10,000 from an SBI ATM. Although the cash wasn’t dispensed and no receipt was issued, the amount was debited from his Bank of Baroda account. Despite sending over a hundred emails and filing formal complaints, the bank remained unresponsive. Even an RTI application to check CCTV footage yielded no results.

Frustrated by the apathy, the victim approached the Consumer Forum in December 2017. The bank argued that the transaction was “successful” in their records, but the Commission rejected this claim, citing RBI guidelines which mandate a refund within five days for such errors. Consequently, the court ordered the bank to pay the original ₹10,000 with 9% annual interest, plus a daily penalty of ₹100 for every day of delay. Including compensation for mental harassment and legal costs, the total payout skyrocketed to ₹3,28,800.