Around 7o'clock evening on 19th June7, i inserted debit card into one of 2 atms annexed to valasaravakkam branch of the HDFC bank. After completion of drill for withdrawal of money- for the last question "whether you require receipt for this transaction? ", I pressed "No" button for the answer. Neither cash nor the card came out of the machine but the ATM video (monitor) was glowing with the words "CONTACT BRANCH MANAGER". THE DAY BEING TUESDAY it was weekly holiday for the branch yet i looked out for security and since no one was in the vicinity, i moved out of ATM chamber taken few steps & spoken to the security man Mariappan guarding at the branch entrance.
I asked him for meeting branch manager and he said bank closed on a/c of weekly holiday and no official available for contacting &they would be available only the next day. In the circumstances
since DEBIT card trapped in ATM machine itself, I felt it safe to leave the place with a feeling that none can access to the trapped card & next day card can be collected from bank BM.
But next day forenoon before proceeding to the bank, on the bank's website I saw status of my account SB 0241xxxx11790 & found in a row of five transactions during the vee hours of 19/20 June my savings account debited with five ATM withdrawals (Anna Nagar Chennai) totaling to RS.50000 (FIftythousand).
I rushed to the banks branch- got debit card "hot listed", narrated the incident to BM Shri Ajit Kumar.
Since I hv "NOT LOST" the debit card elsewhere and it is only trapped in the Bank's ATM machine, police did not permit me to file FIR. complaint for reversal of debits toward unauthorized ATM withdrawals - both written & oral to Branch manager, answered crisply thus "that matter investigated and since withdrawals were done using your debit card & your PIN, bank has nothing to do in the matter." I am a senior citizen & live only on interest earned from savings.
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