Dear friends,
Sorry, this is a long story.. I am not sure if anyone can help.. but at least you will all be aware of the shrewedness of ICICI bank looting and harassing its clients.
I have opened a current account with ICICI bank in Trivandrum in 2003. I have visited the branch personally and an executive assisted me in the process of opening the account. The executive himself had filled up the application, attched all the necessary documents. All I had to do was to sign at appropriate places shown by this executive. As my registered office was in Trivandrum and operations could be from other cities also, I had to opt for a "silver' category account which is a "Roaming Current Account" which facilitates operation from Any city in India, and "pay at par cheques" can also be issued. In this category, I was supposed to maintain a minimum quarterly balace of Rs.50,000. I had issued a cheque for Rs 50,000 from my savings account in IDBI branch for the first transaction. The account was opened and was operational.
I was functioning from Goa at that time. The transactions were very good as I was in tourism business and there was a lot of inward remittances from abroad as foreign currency as tourists used to book tours through me from various countries.
After another year, I opened a fixed deposit for Rs 615,000 and it was linked to my current account. By this time business happened to get tangled with a litigation and was frozen. I and my business got implicated in a criminal case initiated by a foreign national whom I employed under my sponsorship in India. With her bribes a police official advised her to file the criminal case and using the case, the police gave instruction to the bank to freeze the account. I had around Rs 20,000 as last balance when the account was operative. As the FD was linked to my current account, bank refused to release the amount even after completion of its 1 yr term. I happened check my bank statements and noted that there was a deduction of around Rs 7400/quarter for 4 times in an year. I called up the manager and asked for explanation. He informed me that it was for non maintanence of quaterly balance of Rs.500,000. I told him, I was supposed to maintain only Rs 50,000 as my account is only "silver" category. He said, not its "Gold" so I need to maintain Rs.500,00 quarterly. I was shocked.. I sent numerous mails to them asking for clarification but none of them replied to me with a satisfactory answer. They kept telling me that my account is in "Gold" category. I asked them why this amount was not deducted in the first year as I did not maintain the said Rs 500,00 quarterly.. there was no explanation. I asked them to show me any communication from my part to upgrade my account.. no answer... they have stolen all the money in the account... As the litigiation with my business matter is in High Court in Kochi still, the account is still non operative. The balance has gone into minus as they kept deducting this amount. In connection with the litigation, the bank was also a party. Using this chance, I asked for the copies of the "application for opening the account" which I signed at the time of opening the account. The lawyer from the bank's side deposed before the court that it was misplaced.. can you beleive it???
I have approached munsif court Trivandrum asking for an interim injuction against freezing my account. The account was frozen in connection with the ongoing litigation. Court passed an order in favour. Order was for "stopping the freezing of the current account till the disposal of original suit ". The bank lawyer rejected the court order saying, "it does not specifically instructs the bank to unfreeze the already frozen account. It states only not to freeze account, but not to unfreeze" .. what a twist!!! I approached the court again. Judge asked us to file a "prosecution petition" against the bank officials. Then the bank's lawyer came to us peading and begging not to do it.. we showed little humanitarion consideration, but they were buying time, they nformed the opposition party of my case about our movements and helped them to implede into the case and the case was prolonged. ICICI is a bunch of crooks who steal money and harass people.
As these details are very important for my case, I am in need of obtaining all the details pertaining to my current account in ICICI bank. I am pretty sure that the bank had plalyed some dirty tricks with my account and doesnt want to part with the documents. I want advice from you how to go about it... thanks in advance..
rgds
Justin
