The court passed the order on a complaint filed by an account holder in Canara Bank [Get Quote] who approached the court after the bank officials allowed a man to withdraw Rs 10,000 from his account using the forged cheque.

Complainant Hemant Walia, a resident of Rohini, approached the North West district consumer forum alleging deficiency on the part of the bank while honouring the cheque of Rs 10,000 in favour of Shailender Kumar despite the fact that the issuer's signature were not matching with his specimen signature.

The forum after hearing both sides found that there was mistake committed by the bank and directed it to pay a Rs 15,000 compensation to Walia.

"The Canara Bank has been guilty of deficiency in service in relation to the transaction under consideration," North West District Consumers Disputes Redressal Forum President R C Yaduvanshi said.

"The affidavit (of the bank) clearly admits that the signatures were at variance with the record of the bank. There is no evidence to suggest that the variance in the signature on the said cheque was brought to the notice of Walia and even then he instructed for clearance," the Forum said.

The bank, which had sought dismissal of the complaint, had contended that the cheque was signed by Walia himself and it was on his direction that the payment was made to Kumar despite the variation in the signature.