Axis Bank to pay Rs 66,000 for denying credit cards to cops

Axis Bank has been directed by a consumer forum here to pay Rs 66,000 to two Delhi Police Special Cell officers for not providing them credit cards despite assuring to do so while opening their salary accounts.
The New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum observed that the bank had "deliberately declined" to grant credit card facilities to the officers, of SHO/Inspector rank, despite RBI guidelines and held the bank guilty of "unfair trade practice".
"We have gone through opposite party's (bank) reply and evidence and noticed the bank had taken entire salary account of Delhi Police officials assuring all of them to provide credit facilities as per RBI guidelines. The opposite party deliberately declined complainants' credit card applications arbitrarily despite RBI guidelines.

"SHO/Inspector is well capable to repay the payments being government officials otherwise their salary can be attached for recovery. Thus, it a clear case of deficiency and unfair trade practice on the part of the bank," a bench presided by C K Chaturvedi said.
Apart from awarding compensation of Rs 66,000 to the two police officers, Inspectors Govind Sharma and Onkar Kapil, the forum also directed the bank to provide them with credit cards after verification of their residential addresses and phone or mobile numbers.
The complaint against the bank was initially filed by four Special Cell officers of Delhi Police, but after filing of the case, two of them were provided credit cards while Sharma and Kapil were denied the facility.

The bank in its defence contended that the officers were not given credit cards as they had cited their official phone numbers instead of residential numbers.