IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CHAKRADHARI SHARAN SINGH and MADHURESH PRASAD, JJ.
CWJC No. 3631 of 2021
(29.3.2022)
Anand Prakash ... Petitioner
vs.
Bank of India through its
Zonal Manager & Ors. ... Respondents
Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006 – Clause 13(a) – Rejection of complain – Petitioner's complain was rejected after considering calculation supplied by Bank to Ombudsman – Calculation which was supplied by Bank to Ombudsman, was not supplied to petitioner – On this limited ground, impugned order passed by Banking Ombudsman requires interference – Impugned order set aside with direction to Banking Ombudsman to pass order afresh in accordance with law after giving petitioner opportunity to examine calculation which was supplied by Bank to Ombudsman – Application allowed. (Paras 4, 7, 8 and 9)
ORDER
The petitioner in the present writ application has put to challenge an order dated 20.05.2019, passed by the Banking Ombudsman (Bihar), whereby his complain under Clause 13(a) of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006 has been rejected.
2. It is the petitioner’s case that his complain has been rejected by the Banking Ombudsman in violation of the principles of natural justice.
3. A counter affidavit has been filed on behalf of Bank of India in which following statement has been made in paragraph-11:—
“That the petitioner being dissatisfied by the calculation of the bank submitted its own calculation to the bank. He approached the learned Ombudsman. The bank supplied the calculation details to the learned Ombudsman who after being satisfied by the calculation and also relied on the circular of the R.B.I. finally passed the order.”
4. It is evident from the impugned order of the Banking Ombudsman and the statement made in paragraph-11 of the counter affidavit that the petitioner’s complain was rejected after considering the calculation supplied by the Bank to the Ombudsman.
5. It has been urged on behalf of the petitioner that the said calculation supplied by the Bank to the Ombudsman, which was the basis for the Ombudsman to reject the petitioner’s complain, was never supplied to him.
6. In order to ascertain as to whether the calculation details, as supplied by the Bank to the Ombudsman, was furnished to the petitioner or not before the petitioner’s complain was rejected, this Court had directed production of the original records of the concerned proceedings before the Ombudsman.
7. Mr. Amit Prakash, learned counsel representing the Banking Ombudsman has produced before us the original records, which we have carefully perused. On perusal of the original records, we are satisfied that the said calculation, as mentioned in paragraph-11 of the counter affidavit as also in the order of the Banking Ombudsman, was not supplied to the petitioner.
8. On this limited ground, in our opinion, the impugned order dated 20.05.2019, passed by the Banking Ombudsman requires interference by this Court. The said order dated 20.05.2019 is accordingly set aside with a direction to the Banking Ombudsman to pass an order afresh in accordance with law after giving the petitioner an opportunity to examine the calculation which was supplied by the Bank to the Ombudsman.
9. This application is allowed with the aforesaid observation and direction.
The main legal point established in the judgment is the requirement for the Banking Ombudsman to provide reasons for decisions, afford an opportunity of hearing to the parties, and act in a manner ad....
The court emphasized that the Ombudsman could not decline to exercise jurisdiction vested in it under the Scheme based on unsustainable grounds.
The Ombudsman must provide a reasoned decision as per legal obligations when dismissing complaints.
Disputed questions of facts should not be adjudicated by the writ court, and petitioners should seek other remedies.
The Banking Ombudsman is justified in rejecting complaints that involve complex disputed questions of fact, such as allegations of forgery, which necessitate elaborate documentary and oral evidence b....
Procedural fairness mandates that parties must be given a fair hearing before any orders affecting their rights are made.
The Ombudsman must decide complaints on their merits without overlooking procedural rights.
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