Dishonoured my cheque?

Question

My Sb ac on 3rd dec i had deposited cheque for Rs.5000/ in BANK but to my surprise the cheque has been dishonoured. i do not understand the reason. you have put a dark spot on my reputation I am going to take the complaint with bank of India claiming damages from you.

Answer 1

Dear Dash,

 

At the outset, let me clarify that this site is designed by a group of senior Banking Professionals to assist Bank Customers at large to provide guidance for resolution of any complain/query/grievance in respect of financial services. This site does not belong to any Bank or a regulator, which may please be noted.

Your complaint lacks clarity. Is the cheque you have cited in your complaint is the one  you had deposited for collection in your account or one you had issued to someone and presented for payment?

Assuming that the cheque deposited for collection was returned the bank had no role in the same and you have to take up with the person from whom you received the cheque. On the other hand, if it is a case of cheque drawn on your account which your bank returned for want of funds, I may state that it was your obligation to have issued the cheque only after ensuring the account had sufficient balance to honour it on presenting across the counter or through  clearing mechanism. In the absence of clear funds in the account for honouring cheque drawn on any account, the bank will be helpless. There is no duty on the bank to contact the customers for funding their account for honouring cheques received in clearing.

It may be case that you issued the cheque without funding the account and deposited cash subsequently. Probability is that the cash deposited would not have been accounted for before the clearing return time. You will have a case against  the bank only if you can prove that you deposited cash well before and it was negligence on the bank's part that resulted in bouncing of the cheque. Even in such  a case, you are unlikely to get any relief. However, if you are satisfied that there was no fault your end, you can write to Nodal Officer of your bank through email or letter, highlighting the damages caused to you by the bank. You can find contact details of Nodal Officer on bank's website.

Regards

 

J R Mohandas