1. The appellant before us, having a current account with respondent No. 1-Canara Bank, took exception to the charging by the Bank a sum of Rs. 50/- for issuance of 50 leaves of MICR cheques. The main ground for the grievance was that this amount had not been charged earlier for issuance of cheque book, but the same has been introduced without any prior information and consent of the appellant. It amounted to unilateral action on the part of the respondent-Bank.

2. The appellant approached the Bombay Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum and Bombay Suburban District (in short ‘the District Forum’) with the aforesaid complaint. The District Forum allowed the petition preferred by the appellant, holding that the Bank was not justified in recovering the charges for supply of leaf of cheques as it could not be done unilaterally without the consent of the customer. It has also been observed by the District Forum that no data was provided by the Bank to indicate the cost it incurs in obtaining such cheque books. It was also found that such a charge as imposed by the Bank was detrimental to the interest of the customer. Ultimately, with such observations, a direction was issued by the Dis