A phone call from someone posing as a bank agent cost a Kolkata man Rs 41,500 from his credit card. Although the bank initially credited the amount temporarily, it later reversed and disputed the sum, with additional charges.

A bench of president Kallol Chatopadhyay and member Udayan Roy held the bank deficient in service and ordered it to refund Rs 41,500, with Rs 9,092 towards refund, Rs 15,000 as compensation for harassment and litigation costs.

“We hold that the opposite party is deficient in service. It failed to resolve the complaint within 90 days. It reversed the credit after more than a year, without notice or reasons. It levied interest and charges. It also wrongly stated before us that the complainant had made a fresh transaction ,” the commission said on October 30.

The order also noted that we do not overlook the complainant’s own lapse. It added that the complainant admits sharing the OTP. “The bank could have held him liable for the loss.…