(1.) The complainant No.1 in this case namely K. Bal Reddy availed loan from the petitioner-bank by mortgaging house No.8-4-17/34 which belong to her wife complainant No.2-K. Vasundhara. The title deed of the aforesaid property was deposited with the bank by way of an equitable mortgage. The entire loan taken by the complainant No.1 stood paid by April 2009. However, the original sale deed of the property which had been deposited with the bank was not returned on the ground that the same was not traceable. The complainants served a legal notice on the petitioner-bank requiring it to return the original title deed. However, the bank did not return the said title deed despite receipt of the legal notice. As a result the complainants approached the concerned District Forum seeking direction to the bank to return the original sale deed as well as damages amounting to Rs.3,00,000/-.
(2.) The complaint was resisted by the petitioner-bank inter alia on the ground that in the shifting of the concerned branch the original title deed of the property got mixed with some other document and later could not be traced. The bank expressed its willingness to issue a certificate stating therein that the original title deed has been misplaced in their custody.
(3.) The District Forum vide its order dated 12-02-2013 issued the following directions: