Page 122 - A Banker Down the Rabbit Hole

no response to several bank reminders. The bank could not wait endlessly
as there are standard norms for recovery by which the Managers are rule
bound to take sequential recovery measures.

The next week, the employee of the borrower came to the branch and
handed over a sum of Rs. 20,000/- for deposit in the loan account. The
Branch Head accepted it but told him, "This amount is very small
compared to the overdue amount of Rs. 3 lakh in the account. If the entire
over dues are not cleared quickly, our bank would force me to file a suit
in the court for recovery. So they should deposit more amounts in their
loan accounts so that we could avoid filing of suit."

An hour later, after their employee returned, the Branch Manager got a
phone call from borrower angrily saying "How dare you tell my employee
that you will meet us in the court for recovery? Don't you know who am
I? Now I would see how you reach the court." The Branch Manager stood
up from the seat to pacify the caller but the phone was banged on the
other side before he could utter a word.

The Branch Head was a thorough gentleman and had not experienced
such a borrower behavior yet in his entire career so far. He got scared as
he was transferred here from a distant city of other state and had his
family staying with him. There was a clear physical threat if he had to
file a suit in the court against him who was a Political Biggy in that area
and was very influential and powerful.

He immediately got in touch with the local staff who knew the borrower
and called a meeting of the branch officers. He narrated the incident to
all and forewarned that in case any mishappening or accident occurred
to him, they should keep this incident in mind. The local staff assured
him that they would speak to the borrower and explain that the Branch
Head had never used the words the way these were communicated to
him.

The local staff members went and explained to him "It might be some

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