Recorded RBI impact
Fine: Rs 2.00 L
Monetary penalty · Fresh imposition
Published by RBI
8 Jan 2024
Case Brief
By an order dated December 14, 2023, RBI imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 2.00 lakh on The Halol Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd., Panchmahal, Gujarat. The bank was found, after statutory inspection and review of related reports and correspondence, to have sanctioned a loan where a relative of one of its directors stood as guarantor, breached prudential inter-bank counterparty exposure limits, and not paid interest on matured term deposits from the date of maturity until repayment at the applicable rate. RBI said the action was taken under Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, for non-compliance with its directions on loans and advances to directors/related parties, placement of deposits with other banks, and interest rate on deposits.
Why RBI Acted
RBI imposed a monetary penalty after statutory inspection found that the bank had sanctioned a loan where a relative of one of its directors stood as guarantor, breached the prudential inter-bank counterparty exposure limit, and failed to pay interest on matured term deposits from the date of maturity till repayment at the applicable rate. The penalty was imposed under Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, for non-compliance with RBI directions on loans and advances to directors/related concerns, placement of deposits with other banks, and interest rate on deposits.
Operating Impact
The bank must bear the penalty and continue operating, but the order serves as a regulatory censure for the cited compliance failures. There is no customer restitution direction in the release, but the findings highlight issues affecting director-linked lending, inter-bank exposures, and deposit interest handling.
Regulatory Basis
- Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949
Action Facts
- Primary Impact
- Fine: Rs 2.00 L
- Order Date
- 14 Dec 2023
- Effective From
- 14 Dec 2023
- Entities Affected
- 1
- Entity Role
- Primary
- Entity Type
- Co-operative bank