जब कोई व्यक्ति अपने क्रेडिट कार्ड भुगतान में पिछड़ जाता है, तो वह क्रेडिट कार्ड डिफ़ॉल्ट तक पहुंच जाता है। क्रेडिट कार्ड पर चूक करने के बड़े परिणाम होते हैं जो न केवल चूककर्ता और क्रेडिट कार्ड प्रदाता के बीच संबंधों को प्रभावित करते हैं, बल्कि सामान्य रूप से चूककर्ता के क्रेडिट स्कोर और अन्य क्रेडिट-आधारित सेवाओं को प्राप्त करने की उनकी क्षमता को भी प्रभावित करते हैं। निर्णय उन कानूनों से संबंधित हैं जो क्रेडिट कार्ड की चूक को नियंत्रित करते हैं।
क्या बैंकों के पास कानून की उचित प्रक्रिया यानी अदालतों, न्यायाधिकरणों या आयोगों के माध्यम से वसूली के वैकल्पिक साधनों को नियोजित करने का अधिकार है?
जबकि उधार और वसूली दोनों के लिए मानदंड हैं जो यह निर्धारित करते हैं कि वसूली प्रक्रियाओं में किसी भी बल या दुरुपयोग का उपयोग नहीं किया जाना चाहिए, ये दुरुपयोग एक कुशल निगरानी एजेंसी की अनुपस्थिति में होते हैं। इसके अलावा, ऋणों की वसूली केवल कानूनी माध्यमों से हो सकती है और बैंकों के पास वसूली एजेंटों को नियुक्त करने का अधिकार नहीं है जो क्रेडिट कार्ड चूककर्ता से ऋण की वसूली के लिए बल प्रयोग करते हैं।
Supreme Court of India
Manager, ICICI Bank Ltd vs Prakash Kaur & Ors on 26 February, 2007
Author: . A Lakshmanan
Bench: Dr. Ar. Lakshmanan, Altamas Kabir
CASE NO.: Appeal (crl.) 267 of 2007
PETITIONER: Manager, ICICI Bank Ltd
RESPONDENT: Prakash Kaur & Ors
DATE OF JUDGMENT: 26/02/2007
BENCH:
Dr. AR. Lakshmanan & Altamas Kabir
JUDGMENT:
I had the privilege of perusing the judgment proposed by my learned Brother - Hon'ble Mr. Justice Altamas Kabir. While respectfully concurring with the conclusion arrived by the learned Judge, I would like to add the following few paragraphs:-
1) Regarding the role of Recovery Agents use of abusive language due process of law RBI guidelines. FACTORS:
The issue of Banks employing alternate means of recovery other than by due process of law i.e., either through Courts, Tribunals, Adalats or Commissions is an issue that has to be viewed from two angles (1) from the angle of the common man and (2) from the angle of the bank.
REASONS:
First of all, the entrance of the multi national banks into the country has spread the culture of Credit Cards, Loans on an unimaginable level where rather than the rich, it is the middle class, the lower middle class and the lower class who are at the receiving end of the bonanzas promised by the Banks.
Inadequate information on the Credit Card application, Loan Applications, Advertisements or even while meeting the bankers in person in respect of the lending rates and hidden charges, leads to this class of people being lured into the buying of the Credit Cards or taking of the home loan or education loan without knowing the ramifications of non-payment and default.
The first mistake here is most definitely on the part of the bank who does not believe in educating the masses regarding the promises. Once the credit card or loan is taken and there appears a default, then the witch-hunt begins.
Now the bank is the aggressor and the public is the victim. The first step to recovery of the money due is through the so called RECOVERY/COLLECTION AGENTS. A very dignified term used for paid recovery agents who are individual and independent contractors hired by the Banks to trace the defaulters and to both physically, mentally and emotionally torture and force them into submitting their dues.
A man's self respect, stature in society are all immaterial to the agent who is only primed at recovery. This is the modernized version of Shylock's pound of flesh. No explanation is given regarding the interest charge and the bank takes cover under the guise of the holder of the card or loan having signed the agreement whose fine print is never read or explained to the owner. ? When a harassed man approaches the Court or the police station he is not armed with a recording phone and finds it difficult to give evidence of the abuse he has suffered. Here the bank gets away with everything. Young and Old members of the family threatened on streets, institutions and also at home at godforsaken hours by these agents who have the full support of their contractor bank. The stance taken by the bank in any suit alleging such incidents is that no such agent has been appointed by them or their agents do not misbehave in the manner aforesaid and if found guilty the agents have to bear the cross and the bank gets away scot free.
Using of the abusive language for recovery is the norm of the day for most nationalized or multi national bank or non-nationalized bank. Though some are smart enough to record the abuse and proceed to establish the same through Court of Law, most of them are unfortunate not to have recourse to it. Such people form the majority and such litigations are pending in large volumes before the Civil and Consumer Courts. Again the banks escape liability since these agents are not salaried employees of the bank and hence not directly liable for anything. ? Taking it from the angle of the common man the inflow of software money and high salaries has resulted in uncontrolled expenditure. Rather than utility it is a fashion to carry a card for it makes a statement depending on the type of card one carries. ? To maintain ones image one pays the price of utilizing the card without realizing that even a single day's delay in payment results in more than 100 to 200 rupees being charged as default and penalty charges, which if accumulates over a month, results in the charges exceeding the actual payment due.
As for loans, when litigation is commenced by the customer against the bank or an institution, then they refuse to divulge the true statement of account stating that it will be produced in court. This gives ample scope for manipulation.
बैंकिंग विनियमन अधिनियम, 1949, क्रेडिट कार्ड चूककर्ताओं से ऋण की वसूली को नियंत्रित करता है। अधिनियम यह निर्दिष्ट नहीं करता है कि बैंक का व्यवसाय कैसे संचालित किया जाना चाहिए। इसमें केवल बैंक का पंजीकरण और निगमन शामिल है, साथ ही बैंक को आरबीआई के प्रशासन के अधीन रखना भी शामिल है।
चूंकि प्रत्येक बैंक के पास भारत में बैंकिंग व्यवसाय करने के लिए भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक से लाइसेंस होना चाहिए, यदि और जब दोनों राष्ट्रीयकृत और एमएनबी बैंक समय-समय पर किसी भी नियम और विनियम का लगातार उल्लंघन करते हैं, तो ऐसे बैंकों पर उनके उच्च स्तर पर अंकुश लगाने के लिए सख्ती की जानी चाहिए। गतिविधियों को सौंपना और उन्हें आम जनता के प्रति जवाबदेह बनाना।
यह सलाह दी जाती है कि क्रेडिट कार्ड से भुगतान पर अद्यतित रहें और हर कीमत पर चूक से बचें। फिर भी, यदि कोई चूक होती है, तो कानूनी सहायता को हाथ में रखना महत्वपूर्ण है क्योंकि इस तरह के मामले मुश्किल हो सकते हैं। इसके अलावा, एक विशेषज्ञ वकील क्रेडिट कार्ड डिफॉल्टरों पर अक्सर लगाए जाने वाले भारी जुर्माने से बचने में आपकी मदद कर सकता है।
