NCDRC Benchmark: Bank Cannot Reject Failed ATM Debit Claim Using Only 'Successful' Electronic Journal (EJ) Log
Authority / Parties: State Bank of India v. Sansar Chand & Related NCDRC ATM Non-Dispensation Rulings
The account holder attempted an ATM cash withdrawal. While the machine failed to dispense currency notes, the savings account was immediately debited. When the customer lodged a complaint with State Bank of India, the bank summarily closed the docket asserting that the ATM Switch and Electronic Journal (EJ) log showed code '00 — Successful Transaction' with no excess cash reported.
The National Consumer Commission held that a mere print-out of an internal computer switch or EJ log is insufficient to defeat a consumer's sworn complaint when cash is not dispensed. The Commission ruled that the bank is the custodian of both the physical ATM vault and its surveillance system; therefore, failure to supply the timestamped CCTV footage showing the customer actually collecting currency notes, paired with a certified physical cash verification report, constitutes grave deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection Act.