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NCDRC: 'Pension Is For Survival Which Cannot Be Attached'

In REVISION PETITION NO. 2840 OF 2018, STATE BANK OF INDIA vs MANIKA SARKAR, Respondent/Complainant was receiving pension in her Savings Bank Account, jointly held with her son, an employee of the Petitioner Bank. The Bank Authority froze the Respondent’s Account, since her son was charged with misappropriation of money. It was stated that due to the said action of the Petitioners, transactions in respect of the Pension Account became barred, subjecting the family pensioner to utter deprivation from enjoying her pension, which was her sole source of sustenance. The complaint filed before the District Forum was opposed by the Bank stating that the complainant was not a consumer and the account in question was not a pension account. The District Forum accepted the complaint stating that pension is meant for survival of the pension holder, which cannot be attached or withheld by any one.

The petitioners appealed before the state forum which upheld the decision of the District forum. Finally on appeal, the NCDRC also agreed with the lower forums and stated that the Respondent was a customer of the Petitioner as she was having a joint account in the Petitioner’s Bank, where her pension was regularly deposited.The Petitioner was a service provider.The Petitioner Bank froze her account and wrongly denied her access to her pension, which amounted to deficiency in service.She, thus, filed a consumer complaint in the consumer fora.It is clear from the evidence available on record as well from the Orders of the lower Fora, that no fault was committed by the Respondent.She
cannot be made suffer, only due to the reason that she was having a Joint Account with her son, who had allegedly committed an offence. The Petitioner Bank had no reason to withhold Pension.

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