Alka Pathak, a resident of Moradabad, had deposited Rs 18 lakh in cash in her Bank of Baroda locker at the Ashiana branch in October last year. Recently, bank employees contacted her for the renewal of the locker agreement and to update her 'Know Your Customer' details.
Upon opening the locker to check its contents, Alka was devastated to find that the currency notes she had carefully saved for her daughter's wedding had been reduced to dust due to a termite infestation.
Bank officials were equally shocked by the incident and reported it to the Bank of Baroda headquarters when it garnered media attention. However, they have not provided Alka with any information.
Alka Pathak has expressed her intention to seek media assistance if she does not receive a response and support from the bank.
It's worth noting that recent Reserve Bank of India rules prohibit storing cash in bank lockers. The Bank of Baroda locker agreement specifies that the locker's use is intended for legitimate purposes such as storing valuables like jewelry and documents but not for cash storage.
The bank's website outlines its responsibility for any loss of locker contents due to theft, burglary, robbery, fire, building collapse, or fraud. In such cases, the bank is liable to compensate the customer with 100 times the prevailing safe deposit locker annual rent.