4 min readNew DelhiAug 13, 2026 07:00 AM IST
First published on: Aug 13, 2026 at 07:00 AM IST
The Haridwar District Consumer Commission held a private sector bank deficient in service for failing to recover Rs 45,000 wrongly transferred to another account despite receiving prompt information. It directed the bank to refund Rs 45,000 to the man.
A bench of president Gagan Kumar Gupta and members Amresh Rawat and Ranjna Goyal also directed the bank to pay Rs 10,000 for mental agony and Rs 10,000 towards litigation costs.
“The complainant immediately informed the opposite bank with sufficient information that the amount in question had been transferred to the account of another person. Upon this, the opposite bank assured the complainant that they would recover the said amount from the account of the said other person after two to four days and inform him. However, the said amount was not recovered, and even after repeatedly contacting the opposite bank, only assurances were given. The said amount was not recovered, which is indicative of deficiency in service on the part of the opposite parties,” the commission said on July 21.
The order added that it is also noteworthy in the present case that, despite repeated opportunities being granted to the opposite parties, they did not present their case at any stage, due to which the proceedings of the complaint against the opposite parties were proceeded with ex parte.
“In such a situation, the complaint petition, documentary evidence and affidavit of the complainant available on record remain unrebutted, from which it is clearly evident that the non-refund of the amount in question to the complainant’s account by the opposite parties amounts to deficiency in consumer service,” it underscored.
Transferred Rs 45,000 to another person’s account
The complainant was a customer of the bank’s Civil Lines, Roorkee branch. On January 10, 2019, he attempted to transfer Rs 45,000 through mobile net banking to an acquaintance’s account. Due to an alleged mistake, the money was transferred to another person’s bank account.
The complainant claimed that he immediately informed the opposite parties about the erroneous transfer. The opposite parties assured him that the money would be recovered within a few days, but despite repeated assurances, the amount was not returned. He alleged that the opposite party failed to take adequate steps to prevent the recipient from withdrawing the money.
After the opposite party allegedly failed to resolve the issue, the complainant sent a legal notice on March 19, 2019, and subsequently filed a consumer complaint seeking Rs 45,000, Rs 15,000 towards litigation expenses and other reliefs. The opposite party did not contest the complaint, and the proceedings eventually proceeded ex parte.
Amount remained unrecovered despite assurances
The commission found that the Rs 45,000 was transferred from the complainant’s account to another person’s account by mistake, and the bank’s own response to the legal notice supported the occurrence of the transfer.
It observed that the complainant had immediately informed the opposite party about the erroneous transfer on January 10, 2019. The commission noted that the opposite party failed to produce documentary evidence contradicting this claim.
The commission further noted that the bank had assured the complainant that the amount would be recovered from the recipient’s account within a few days. However, the Rs 45,000 was never recovered or credited back, despite repeated contacts by the complainant.
Takeaway
This judgment matters because it reinforces that banks can be held liable for deficiency in service when they fail to act promptly after being informed about an erroneous transfer. It also highlights that repeated assurances without recovering the customer’s money do not absolve the bank of responsibility, particularly when its claims remain unsupported by evidence.
Consumers facing similar grievances may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states (Uttarakhand helpline: 1800-180-4188) or dial the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.
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The commission was dealing with a plea of a man regarding money transfer from his account. (AI-generated Image) 
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