StanChart penalised for 'extortion'

New Delhi: Censuring Standard Chartered Bank for raising undue credit card bills against a customer and trying to "extort" money from him, a Delhi district consumer forum has asked the bank to pay him Rs 1.1 lakh as damages.

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum said raising undue credit card bill of Rs 74,000 and putting the customer's name in defaulters' list due to which he could not avail the services of any other bank was illegal and asked Standard Chartered to desist from such activities in future.

The forum noted that the bank had raised the bill despite reaching a settlement with its customer five years ago.

"It is very strange that after five years of settlement of the account of the two credit cards and receipt of settled amount, the bank again demanded Rs 74,004 as outstanding amount against the credit cards.

"Such demand amounts to extortion of money from complainant by the bank. It cannot compel customer to make more payment after receipt of the settled amount five years back," said the consumer forum bench of B B Chaudhary.

The orders came on a complaint by city resident Alok Aggarwal who had taken two credit cards from the Standard Chartered Bank. He said the bank did not send the monthly statements of the credit cards and started levying charges and interest illegally.

Source: Financial Express