Dear Sir,

I was a very brand loyal and an ardent admirer of ICICI Bank and had been among one of the few people who had opened a savings bank account when the bank opened its branch in Raipur. Later I got an ICICI Preferred Credit Card and had been always regular paying my bills. Since I had a savings account, I always used to pay my Credit Card Bills Online. I had been working with a leading Life Insurance Co. at that time and because of some transfer of place issues I had to resign from it and joined my family in Bhopal.

Since, I was not working for about a year, my bills piled upto Rs.86000/- and I was not able to pay for a few months. In between, there have been many instances wherein, the bank had wrongly charged hefty amounts in the name of Late fees, Over Limit penalty and I had to mail and get these things resolved. But since I belong to a respectable family, I tried to reach to a compromise by writing to the Accounts Manager (online through my internet banking account) that I would like to settle my account and would be able to pay a lump sum payment of Rs.5000/- per month. After a few days, the replied came in the negative that you can not pay in part payment and will have to pay all the outstanding in one go, which was not possible for me at all. I also tried to reach the bank through their 24 hours customer care service to settle the issue but all in vain. Most of the time their numbers which are published in their website are not working. Even today, their Customer Care Number (as published on their website for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh): 989320800 is not working. And this is not the first time that it is not working!

It has been me who wanted to get in touch with the bank and find some solution, but there has been no communication from the bank on my email ID or over my phone. But suddenly, today out of the blue, I received a call from an un-known number and the person told me that he is calling from some Police Station in New Delhi and that a Criminal Complaint has been filed against you by Advocate B. S. Rana in the Delhi High Court. I asked what it is all about, he then gave me the number of the advocate and asked me to talk to him immediately. When I talked to the person who is supposedly Advocate B. S. Rana, he told me that it is the case filed by ICICI Bank as you have not paid the outstanding Bills of the Bank and if I need an out of the court settlement I need to pay the full amount of Rs.86,117/- by 4.0 pm today.

I found all this very strange as till now neither there has been any notice on my email (which is active and working and credit card bills reminders are coming regularly on monthly basis), nor there has been any phone call for such a recovery on my mobile. No ICICI bank executive has ever tried to meet me ever and all of a sudden, the case has gone to the Delhi High Court!

Sir, with due respect, I would like to know is this the ethical way on part of the bank?

I have been terribly harassed and intimidated by these non-stop calls that are coming regularly till now on my mobile since morning. Do I have any recourse to all these threats and harassment? It has crippled my working and I have not been able to work or focus on anything else.

Please advice.

Warm regards,

Aseem Chandna