In Karnataka’s Dharwad District a State Bank of India branch has been fined Rs 85,177 for dishonouring a cheque because of failing to recognise properly a Kannada numeral on it.
Vadirajacharya Inamdar , a customer, had issued an SBI cheque for Rs 6,000 to Hubli Electricity Supply Company Limited (HESCOM) towards his electricity bill on September 3, 2020.
HESCOM had its account in Canara Bank and the cheque was sent to the SBI branch at Haliyal in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka for clearance. However, when the cheque was sent for clearance at the SBI branch at Haliyal in Uttara Kannada district it was rejected.
The cheque was filled in Kannada including the numerals. The staff in the SBI branch in Haliyal misread the cheque and couldn’t distinguish between 9 and 6 ,hence dishonoured the cheque. The numeral nine indicated the month of September, but the bank read it as June.
After this blunder , Inamdar, an English lecturer in the Government PU College in Hubballi, approached the Dharwad District Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum with his complaint.
President Ishappa Bhute and members V A Bolishetti and P C Hiremath who were the part of forum, found the SBI faulty and charged the fine on Wednesday.
As per reports , The Consumer Forum also emphasized on the point that despite having more than Rs 9 lakhs in his account, the bank failed to honour a cheque of Rs 6000.
