Bank returns property papers at widow’s doorstep, issues no dues certificate after DM’s action
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
A district cooperative bank (DCB) in Dehradun returned the property documents of a widow Shivani Gupta directly at her doorstep and issued her a No Dues Certificate after the district administration’s action. Gupta, a resident of Chandrabani, had been reportedly seeking justice for over a year after the death of her husband Rohit Gupta, who had taken a loan of Rs15.50 lakh from DCB Bank.
After her husband’s death in May 2024, she approached the bank and the insurance company several times, requesting them to process the insurance claim and relieve her from the loan burden as she had no source of income. However, the insurance company allegedly delayed the disbursal and the bank kept pressuring her to pay EMIs.
When she brought her case to the notice of Dehradun district magistrate Savin Bansal during a recent public hearing, he instructed the DCB Bank branch manager to appear and resolve the issue. The administration issued a recovery certificate (RC) of Rs 17.05 lakh, including interest on June 9 and directed the bank to comply by June 16.
The bank did not act despite multiple notices. The DM said that following continued inaction, the administration sealed the bank’s branch located at Cross Roads Mall on Rajpur Road on June 18. The bank’s movable assets were seized as part of the enforcement. The bank responded immediately after the sealing.
Its officials visited Gupta’s residence, returned her property documents that had been held as loan security and issued her a No Dues Certificate, effectively closing the loan. Bansal stated that such actions will continue in public interest when institutions fail to comply with lawful directions or deny justice to citizens seeking help.
