Mr. Justice A.L. Bahri, President—District Forum, Amritsar on April 6, 1998 allowed complaint filed by Ram Piare Lal Joshi with the direction to the opposite party Punjab National Bank to pay a sum of Rs. 50,000/- illegally withdrawn from the Saving Bank Account of the complainant on a forged cheque alongwith interest @ 15% p.a. from the date of withdrawal till payment and cost of Rs. 1,000/-. Additional compensation of Rs. 5,000/- was also allowed. The Bank has challenged the aforesaid order in this appeal.

2. Ram Piare Lal Joshi, the complainant, was having Bank Account No. 6189 with Punjab National Bank, Jandiala Guru Branch, District Amritsar. On November 7, 1997, he withdrew a sum of Rs. 3,000/- from his account, however, by mistake left his Pass Book and Cheque Book at the Bank premises or otherwise lost. It was on January 20, 1998 when he wanted to withdraw more amount from the account that the missing of the Cheque Book and Pass Book came to his notice. He obtained a duplicate Cheque Book from the Bank and when he wanted to withdraw some amount, he came to know that Bank had made payment of Rs. 50,000/- as back as December 18, 1997 vide cheque No. 398829 under the forge