1.   Heard.

2.   Respondent/Complainant herein, filed a Consumer Complaint against Petitioner/Opposite Party before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Kolkata Unit-II(for short,’District Forum’) on the allegations that he issued a self cheque on 02.07.2009, in his another account. He was surprised when Bank’s Statement dated 4.7.2009 revealed that the said cheque bounced, despite sum of Rs.15,695/- lying deposited in his Salary Account as on 01.07.2009. The petitioner’s bank also debited a sum of Rs.350/- towards charges for bouncing of the said cheque. It amounts to deficiency in service and also unfair business practice.

3.   Petitioner in its written statement took the plea that the cheque in question bounced since petitioner transferred an amount from the said account of the respondent towards settlement of the outstanding dues of the credit card of the respondent. 

4.   District Forum vide order dated 10.05.2010, allowed complaint and directed the petitioner, jointly and severally, to pay a sum of Rs.10,000/- for deficiency in service. Further, sum of Rs.10,000/- was awarded towards compensation for causing undue harassment and mental agony to the respondent, along with Rs.2,000/- being cost of the litigation.

5.   Being aggrieved, petitioner filed appeal before the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, West Bengal (for short, ‘State Commission’).

6.   The State Commission, vide impugned order dated 20.10.2011,dismissed the appeal and affirmed the decision of the District Forum.

7.   Hence, this revision

8.   We have heard the learned counsel for parties and gone through the record.

9.   Learned counsel for petitioner, in support of its contentions has cited the following judgments;

(i)  Branch Manager, Union Bank of India and Anr. Vs. Tele Surya Rao(RP No.336 of 1996), decided by this Commission on 17.4.1997 and

(ii) Syndicate Bank Vs.Vijay Kumar and Others,

     AIR 1992 SC(2)1066.

10.  Since, paltry amount of Rs.22,000/- only is involved in the present case, we are not inclined to entertain this petition, in view of the decision of the Apex court in “Gurgaon Gramin Bank Vs. Khazani and Another, IV (2012) CPJ 5(SC), where the Apex Court observed;

"2. Number of litigations in our country is on the rise, for small and trivial matters, people and sometimes Central and State Governments and their instrumentalities Banks, nationalized or private, come to courts may be due to ego clash or to save the Officers’ skin. Judicial system is over-burdened, naturally causes delay in adjudication of disputes. Mediation centers opened in various parts of our country have, to some extent, eased the burden of the courts but we are still in the tunnel and the light is far away. On more than one occasion, this court has reminded the Central Government, State Governments and other instrumentalities as well as to the various banking institutions to take earnest efforts to resolve the disputes at their end. At times, some give and take attitude should be adopted or both will sink. Unless, serious questions of law of general importance arise for consideration or a question which affects large number of persons or the stakes are very high, Courts jurisdiction cannot be invoked for resolution of small and trivial matters. We are really disturbed by the manner in which those types of matters are being brought to courts even at the level of Supreme Court of India and this case falls in that category.”

  The Apex Court further held;

“10. The Chief Manager stated in the affidavit that no bill was raised by the counsel for the bank for conducting the matter before the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission. We have not been told how much money has been spent by the bank officers for their to and fro journeys to the lawyers’ office, to the District Forum, State Forum, National Commission and to the Supreme Court. For a paltry amount of Rs.15000/-,even according to the affidavit, bank has already spent a total amount of Rs.12, 950/- leaving aside the time spent and other miscellaneous expenses spent by the officers of the bank for to and fro expenses etc.Further, it may be noted that the District Forum had awarded Rs.3,000/-towards cost of litigation and compensation for the harassment caused to Smt. Khazani. Adding this amount, the cost goes up to Rs.15,950/-. Remember, the buffalo had died 10 years back, but the litigation is not over, fight is still on for Rs.15,000/-.

11. Learned counsel appearing for the bank, Shri Amit Grover, submitted that though the amount involved is not very high but the claim was fake and on inspection by the insurance company, no tag was found on the dead body of the buffalo and hence the insurer was not bound to make good the loss, consequently the bank had to proceed against Smt. Khazani.

12. We are of the view that issues raised before us are purely questions of facts examined by the three forums including theNational Disputes Redressal Commission and we fail to see what is the important question of law to be decided by the Supreme Court. In our view, these types of litigation should be discouraged and message should also go, otherwise for all trivial and silly matters people will rush to this court.

13. Gramin Bank like the appellant should stand for the benefit of the gramins who sometimes avail of loan for buying buffaloes, to purchase agricultural implements, manure, seeds and so on. Repayment, to a large extent, depends upon the income which they get out of that. Crop failure, due to drought or natural calamities, disease to cattle or their death may cause difficulties to gramins to repay the amount. Rather than coming to their rescue, banks often drive them to litigation leading them extreme penury. Assuming that the bank is right, but once an authority like District Forum takes a view, the bank should graciously accept it rather than going in for further litigation and even to the level of Supreme Court. Driving poor gramins to various litigative forums should be strongly deprecated because they have also to spend large amounts for conducting litigation. We condemn this type of practice, unless the stake is very high or the matter affects large number of persons or affects a general policy of the Bank which has far reaching consequences.

14. We, in this case, find no error in the decisions taken by all fact finding authorities including the National Disputes Redressal Commission. The appeal is accordingly dismissed with cost of Rs.10,000/- to be paid by the bank to the first respondent within a period of one month. Resultantly, the Bank now has to spend altogether Rs.25,950/- for a claim of Rs.15,000/-,apart from to and fro travelling expenses of the Bank officials. Let God save the Gramins.”

11.  Above quoted judgment is fully applicable to the facts and circumstances of the present case.

12.  Under these circumstances, we are not inclined to entertain this revision petition. However,the question of law raised in this petition, is kept open to be decided in an appropriate case where the stakes are very high.

13.  With these observations, revision petition stand disposed of.

14.  No order as to cost.

15.  Dasti to both parties.