HDFC Bank cheats a school to the tune of Rs 2 lakh

SRINAGAR: Srinagar Group of Schools (SGS) Chairman, who runs chain of schools in Srinagar Wednesday, alleged that that HDFC Bank Chanapora Branch cheated them by deducting transaction charges to the tune of Rs 2 lakh in six months, a statement issued to CNS said.

The chairman SGS said, “Chanapora branch of HDFC Bank approached Srinagar British School, Nowgam to open its school accounts with the promise that the current account will be opened with Zero Balance and parents can deposit tuition fee and transport charges in any branch of HDFC Bank in Srinagar city and there will be no transaction charges,” adding, “The Bank authorities got blank form signed by school authorities and later on they deducted an amount to the tune of Rs 2 lakh.”

The chairman further said that when the school authorities contacted the branch they assured that the transaction charges will be reversed in case they take an insurance policy of Rs 50,000.

“On taking insurance policy, the HDFC bank did not reverse the entire amount and when again contacted, they gave another pretext of maintaining minimum balance, where as account was opened with zero balance,” he said. “When the school maintained minimum balance, still bank continued to charge transaction fee,” he said, adding that the Bank cheated the school to the tune of Rs 2 lakh from March to August 2013.

When contacted, an official of HDFC Bank Chanapora Branch claimed that the said school had taken up the matter with Reserve Bank of India and the Central Bank rejected their claim after, ‘we provided all the evidences against their claim.’