RBI imposes Rs 2.49 crore penalty on 3 banks including Punjab & Sind

The Reserve Bank on Friday said it has imposed penalties totalling Rs 2.49 crore on three banks, including Dhanlaxmi Bank and Punjab and Sind Bank, for contravention of regulatory norms.

A penalty of Rs 1.20 crore has been slapped on Dhanlaxmi Bank for non-compliance with certain directions on 'Loans and Advances Statutory and Other Restrictions', KYC and certain norms related to interest rate on deposits, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said.

Further, a fine of Rs 1 crore has been imposed on Punjab and Sind Bank for non-compliance with certain directions on 'Loans and Advances Statutory and Other Restrictions'.

The central bank has also imposed a penalty of Rs 29.55 lakh on ESAF Small Finance Bank for non-compliance with the directions issued by it on 'Customer Service in Banks'.

The penalties are based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and are not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the lenders with their customers, according to three separate statements issued by the RBI.