By now, there are numerous cases where banks have indulged in force when trying to recover loans. In many cases, these measures have resulted in humiliation, injuries, hospitalization and sometimes even death of the person being hounded; banks typically claim that they are not responsible for the actions of these recovery agents. The RBI has been mostly quiet when all this has been going on; one would have expected the IBA (Indian Banking Association) to be quiet, but the RBI is the authority that has controlling authorities over all the banks in India, and one would have expected them to intervene. It is courts that have been taking the lead in acting against these recovery agents.
Now finally the RBI seems to have woken up. It says that it will issue a circular on November 15, that will impose a directive to banks to make sure that their recovery agents do not indulge in these kind of activities:
MUMBAI: Concerned over growing litigations against banks and high-handedness of recovery agents, Reserve Bank on Tuesday issued strong warning to banks to check such practices or be barred from engaging such services.